Protecting car dealerships against vehicle theft and damage.

Vehicle theft and malicious damage to cars and property can cost a motor dealership hundreds of thousands of pounds every year, not to mention the disruption to business and impact on its brand reputation.

With this in mind, the Lookers Motor Group, one of the UK’s foremost multi-franchise dealer groups representing more than 30 volume and premium car manufacturers in the UK and Ireland, carried out a review of their existing security systems and contacted B&B Corporate Security Consultants (BBCSC), to recommend a solution that could be rolled-out across all of its sites.

The upgraded security system relied on outdoor sensors to detect intrusion and trigger the remote monitored CCTV system when the dealerships were closed. OPTEX was selected to provide all the external sensors required.

Every perimeter is now protected by either wired or wireless infrared (IR) beams, or in some instances by laser sensors that create a ‘virtual wall’. Intruders are therefore detected before they can cause any damage.

At one site, 24 long range external PIRs, the SIP sensor, were specified at the outer perimeter, integrated with PTZ cameras that are pre-set to locate intruders across the site. Should an intruder be detected, the cameras are triggered and images transmitted to a remote monitoring station.

Additionally, to detect people in the corners of the building or standing near the showroom window or door, OPTEX short-range VXI sensors and curtain PIRs, BX sensors, were also deployed. All of the sensors are connected to CCTV cameras and monitored remotely.

Security Manager at Lookers says that the installed systems are working well: “Our sites are quite complex with trees and flags swaying and many different people visiting, so it is quite a challenge to specify the right security system,” he says.

“As no two sites are ever the same they all have bespoke specification – but by using the same model of security systems each site has the same level of protection. We feel far safer in the knowledge that each site is well protected and completely secure.”