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School Residence Hall Security

School Residence Hall security is a growing concern. According to the US Department of Education website CSS (Campus Safety and Security), there was a reported 36,248 incidents of criminal offense on campuses in 2015, based on 6,701 institutions with 11,306 campuses.

With these statistics, schools and colleges are increasingly taking proactive steps to prevent a wide range of potentially threatening or dangerous incidents. Multiple-building college campuses, in particular, face a unique challenge with different types of buildings requiring different levels of security.

Residence halls and housing facilities in particular are areas where a higher level of security is required.

School Residence Hall Security

In the past, when locks and keys, and the guard at the front desk were the norm, it was easy for students and other individuals to circumvent security at a college residence hall. It’s just a matter of waiting for the watchman to get distracted or nod off and then sneak in.

Or one can find an unsecured door. This “opened the door”, so to speak to anything from annoying but harmless student pranks to serious crimes including theft, assault and unfortunately, homicide.

Because of this, school administrators are increasingly using technology to keep campuses, and residence halls safe and secure.

Electronic Access Control Systems For Residence Halls and Dormitories

The use of smart cards has become pretty standard for many campuses. Since students already carry identification cards, it is just a matter of incorporating security systems onto these required cards. Or, to take it a step further, now these smart cards are being replaced by the mobile phone as access credential using bluetooth or NFC technology.

Electronic access control systems have many advantages:
  • With an electronic access control system, residence hall managers are able to control who is able to gain access into the facility, when they can enter and where they may go.  Therefore, it becomes possible to set specific access privileges for students, maintenance people, and employees, all with differing schedules and access permissions.
  • Lost credentials (cards or phones) can be deactivated immediately upon report, to prevent unauthorized use.  This can even be done remotely by authorized personnel using smartphones, laptops or tablets.
  • Expense of rekeying locks is eliminated.  With an electronic access control system, it is as simple as deactivating a particular misplaced card.  What’s more, other users are not affected and inconvenienced.
  • An audit trail is created by the system which aids in investigation when incidents do occur.
While initial installation does require a small upfront investment, the long term advantages of an electronic access control system far outweigh this. Cloud based systems, readily available, now offer a less expensive alternative because the need to invest in a dedicated server and the staff to maintain it is eliminated.

Action 1st Loss Prevention specializes in electronic access control systems. We carry a wide variety of products. Our team of experts will analyze your needs and recommend an access control solution that will address your residence hall and dormitory security needs perfectly.

Access Control Plus Video Surveillance Cameras

Access control systems combined with video surveillance provides an even more powerful security solution than either one alone. Having video surveillance helps residence hall managers see what’s going on and in case of any incidents, provides tangible evidence.

Surveillance cameras placed at strategic places allow you to:
  • View in real time what is going on inside the facility, even when doors are being unlocked
  • View videos on the go using a mobile app
Where should these surveillance cameras be situated?
  • Entrances
  • Doorways
  • Hallways
  • Exterior Perimeters
  • Parking lots
  • Common areas
  • Laundry areas

Call Us Today

At Action 1st Loss Prevention, your safety and security come first. We are known for dependability, responsiveness, and professionalism, and will provide you with security services you can trust.

Give us a call today at (949) 828-3008 and we will be happy to come onsite for a review and analysis of security options for your campus. We are the premier commercial locksmith in Orange County and the surrounding areas and have been providing security solutions here since 1982.

For more information on school security, click here.

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