I. Introduction Loss Prevention Surveys

Northern

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  Climbing roses are most effective.
  
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  Pyracantha (non-flowering thorny evergreen) very effective but slow growing.
  

The hotel should consult a local landscape architect or nursery to determine the plants best

suited to that area.

Landscaping

Landscaping that is not controlled can hinder hotel security. Landscaping should not block

security lighting or prevent passing police patrols from having a clear view of the property.

Landscaping should not be located so that it provides concealment, reduces illumination or

aids individuals in climbing fences and scaling barriers. Good visibility also makes the job

easier for security personnel.

Premises Protection

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Lighting

Lighting has proven to be an excellent aid to security. The mere increase in light intensity

can result in decreased criminal activity. Lighting also has a positive impact on a guests

comfort level and opinion of the hotel. It is also effective in preventing slip/trip/fall

accidents.

Security lighting should be used in the following places:

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  Parking lots and garages: Lighting should be sufficient to insure guests and employees
  
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  can move safely about the area. It should also be in accordance with recognized lighting
  
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  standards.
  
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  Guest entrances: Provide enough lighting to sufficiently illuminate all exits and
  
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  entrances and eliminate areas of deep shadow that might conceal a person.
  
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  External "non-guest" doors: Provide sufficient lighting to allow eases of observation for
  
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  guard patrols or police.
  
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  Public areas: Highlight steps in areas where the lighting is subdued (as in the lounge).
  
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  Lounges, kitchens, and dining rooms: These areas should be equipped with enough
  
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  night-lights to enable hotel personnel to see into these areas clearly.
  
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  Loading dock area: provide sufficient lighting to allow easy observation by guard
  
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  patrols or police.
  
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  Corridors should have sufficient light to allow for identification of persons and hazards.
  
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  Assistance in determining the level of lighting can be obtained from a qualified lighting
  
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  engineer.
  

If automatic timers are used to control exterior lighting, the timer switches should be

placed in an area where access to them is controlled by management. This prevents

employees or those with improper motives from changing the time setting on the control

panel. Utilization of photo cells will help overcome this problem.

Emergency Lighting

Emergency lighting is necessary to help ensure the safe egress of guests and employees in

the event of a power failure or other emergency. There are two basic types of emergency

lighting; generator powered lights and battery powered lights. Each have their advantages

& disadvantages.

Emergency lighting is recommended for use in all hallways of interior corridor hotels,

elevators, stairwells, public areas, kitchens, and administrative areas. It is also

recommended that you place emergency lighting at the top of each stairway in an exterior

corridor hotel.

Premises Protection

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Generators

Generators typically operate off diesel or propane gas. They provide back-up electricity

to existing hotel fixtures. To ensure limited interruption in illumination, they should be

equipped with an automatic transfer switch, which will activate the generator and provide

electricity automatically. They have the ability to provide electricity for extended periods

of time and may be able to provide power to elevators and coolers. Unfortunately if the

generator fails, emergency lighting will be unavailable.

To ensure proper operation, generators should be exercised on a weekly basis and load

tested annually.

Battery Pack Lights

This type of lighting may have a battery in each unit or may have a centralized battery

location servicing several areas. Fixtures are charged off building power and activate

automatically. They should provide illumination for a minimum of 90 minutes. Since

units are independent, if one fails, only that area is affected. Lights should be tested

monthly to ensure proper operation and placed on a preventive maintenance schedule for

battery replacement.

Premises Protection

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Parking Lots

Outside parking areas are causes of concern to all hotels as electronic equipment, mobile

telephones and sophisticated sound systems have become commonplace in vehicles and are

easily stolen. The following information is provided to assist each hotel in improving

parking lot security.

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  Maintain sufficient lighting in the hotel's parking lots. An intensity of one to two footcandles
  
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  in outdoor lots is recommended. An inexpensive light meter can be purchased at
  
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  a local camera shop. Local lighting contractors may also be used to conduct photometric
  
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  surveys of the hotel grounds at little or no cost.
  
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  Often, lighting can be improved through routine maintenance. This includes the
  
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  trimming of trees and shrubbery, the cleaning of lenses and reflectors and replacement
  
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  of bulbs.
  
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  Have security note on their patrols the exact location of all light fixtures that need
  
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  repairs. These fixtures should be reported for repair or replacement on the following
  
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  day, or, if the city or a contractor is involved, at the earliest possible date.
  
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  Post signs in conspicuous places on the lot reminding motorists to remove valuables.
  
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  Suggested signage would include: "Please remove all valuables from your vehicle, user
  
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  assumes all risk and liability". Additionally it should be stated that parking is for guest
  
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  use only. Reminding guests to remove their property may help to reduce the incentive
  
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  and opportunity for theft.
  
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  If there are several entrances into the parking lot, you may find it advantageous to close
  
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  all but one entrance after dark to prevent unwanted cars from entering the lot.
  
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  Restricted access may help deter criminals.
  
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  Have security conduct irregular patrols of the parking lot. Additionally, ask the local
  
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  police to drive through your lot several times a night.
  
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  If you are experiencing repeated car thefts, you may want to increase the security
  
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  presence in the parking lot. If someone is arrested breaking into vehicles, charges
  
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  should be brought against those individuals. The fact that you take action against those
  
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  who break the law might serve as a deterrent to others that might contemplate similar
  
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  activities.
  

Premises Protection

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Parking Garages

Since visual control and guard patrol of these structures may be more difficult than in the

open parking lot, additional procedures should be considered.

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  Five foot-candles of light are recommended for security purposes. An inexpensive light
  
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  meter can be purchased at a local camera shop. Local lighting contractors may also be
  
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  used to conduct photo-metric studies of the hotel grounds at little or no cost. Often
  
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  lighting can be improved by painting the ceiling and walls white, cleaning the lens and
  
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  reflectors and by changing the bulbs.
  
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  Post signs in conspicuous places on the lot reminding motorists to remove valuables.
  
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  Suggested signage would include: "Please remove all valuables from your vehicle, user
  
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  assumes all risk and liability". Additionally it should be stated that parking is for guest
  
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  use only. Reminding guests to remove their property may help to reduce the incentive
  
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  and opportunity for theft.
  
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  If possible, control your stairwells and elevators with alarmed panic hardware to force
  
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  those leaving the garage to exit in the lobby or at the street level. If other routes are
  
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  available, emergency stairwells from room level floors should have panic hardware
  
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  installed to prevent entry from the parking garage.
  
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  When the hotel employs security personnel, they should make unscheduled rounds of
  
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  each garage parking level using an irregular patrol route.
  

Self-Parking

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  Surfaces, curbs and safety barriers should be inspected for unsafe conditions or hazards.
  
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  "Speed Bumps" should be considered for longer straight stretches of pavement. (Local
  
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  authorities should be contacted to determine if speed bumps could interfere with
  
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  emergency vehicles). If installed, all speed bumps should be painted yellow or a
  
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  contrasting color.
  
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  Space markings, exit directions etc. should be well maintained and visible at all hours.
  
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  General Housekeeping procedures should be established to ensure regular inspections and
  
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  clean up of garage spaces, oil spills, broken glass and other debris.
  
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  Curb stops, if provided, should be aligned with space markings.
  

Valet Parking

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  Attendant should inspect cars to help prevent guests from leaving valuable items in the
  
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  open.
  
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  Attendants should check the automobile exterior, and inform guests of any damage. The
  
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  damage should be documented on the parking ticket.
  

Premises Protection

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  If valet parking is handled by an independent contractor or concessionaire, the claim
  
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  check should indicate that the parking facility is independently operated.
  
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  Make certain that the contractor or concessionaire provides security and insurance for
  
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  theft, damage, fire, etc.. The hotel should be listed as an additional insured.
  
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  Have contracts reviewed by the SCH Legal. Often they are designed to protect the vendor
  
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  not the hotel.
  
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  General Housekeeping procedures should be established in writing or for a concessionaire
  
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  via contract, specifying who is responsible for clearing garage surfaces of vehicle fluid
  
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  spills and other debris.
  
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  Cars should never be parked in fire lanes or blocking fire exits.
  
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  If a car has been damaged in the parking lot/garage, the guest should be informed as soon
  
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  as possible.
  
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  To help reduce fraud, valet claim tickets should be stored in a locked drawer or cabinet or
  
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  other secure area. Returned claim tickets should be destroyed. Vehicle keys should be in
  
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  the immediate control of the parking attendant stored in a locked drawer, key cabinet or
  
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  other secure area.
  
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  In the event that a guest loses their claim ticket, the guest should be required to produce
  
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  photo ID which can be checked against vehicle registration or car rental agreement.
  
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  Guests should not be allowed to visually identify their keys.
  
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  Motor vehicle records (MVR) checks should be conducted on all valet attendants prior
  
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  to hire and every 6 months thereafter.
  

Premises Protection

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Closed Circuit Television

Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) systems can be an effective and integral part of your

security program. However, if improperly used, they could at best be ineffective and at

worst a significant liability. Whether planning a new system or simply evaluating your

existing CCTV system, a determination should be made as to its purpose. Is the purpose

of your system guest safety or asset protection? Your answer should influence the

design, scope and placement of the system.

A few general recommendations should be incorporated into every CCTV system. The

image quality of the camera should be sufficient to allow positive identification of

individuals and clearly document any activities, which occur within view of the camera.

To accomplish this, a high quality digital (preferably color) camera and lens should be

used. All cameras should be continuously recorded on a multiplexed 24-hour time lapse

VCR or digital recorder. The use of a digital multiplexer will prevent the loss of images

even when a camera is not being viewed on the monitor. Recording times should not

extend beyond 24 hours as doing so reduces image quality. Consider using a videotape

library of 31 tapes (plus 2 alternates). This will provide a complete month of

documentation and could prove useful in the event the report of a crime or injury is

delayed. Tapes can be numbered 1-31 for each day of the month. This method avoids relabeling

tapes daily. Tapes should be rotated every 24 hours. If you are limited to using a

standard VCR, consider purchasing T-200 tapes. A T-200 tape will provide in excess of

10 hours recording in SLP mode (compared to 6 hours with T-120 tapes).

To help ensure the integrity of the system, access to the multiplexer and recording

equipment should be restricted by placing them in a tamper resistant cabinet, security box

or secure office. Ensure that cameras and wiring are out of reach or tamper resistant. If

an incident occurs, the tape on which the incident occurred should be pulled from rotation

and replaced with an alternate.

False or “dummy” cameras should not be used. If it is deemed necessary to have CCTV

coverage in any area, a real system should be installed.

Guest Safety

Cameras located in the parking areas, fitness center, swimming pool and other public

areas not staffed by employees may provide the guest with an expectation that someone is

watching over them and will respond in the event that they require assistance. These

cameras may be perceived to be for guest safety. Therefore cameras in these areas should

be continuously viewed by hotel staff whose primary responsibility is monitoring the

cameras. The employee(s) should be able to immediately respond to any guest injury,

criminal act, violation of hotel rules, or suspicious activity observed on the monitors. To

avoid fatigue, staff should be frequently rotated. Cameras, which may create a false sense

of security for guests should be removed.

Premises Protection

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Asset Protection

With systems designed for asset protection, cameras should only be placed in public areas

staffed by employees such as the lobby, front desk, hotel entrances & exits and other

desired public areas staffed by employees. In the back of the house, cameras are best used

in key asset locations such as the drop safe, general cashier’s safe, service corridors,

liquor or other storerooms, bellmen’s closet, and other desired back of the house areas.

The purpose of these cameras is to track what enters and leaves the hotel and monitor

hotel assets. CCTV systems designed for asset protection may or may not be

continuously monitored by staff, but should be recorded as described above.

CCTV systems can play an important roll in hotel security. To ensure that your system is

an asset rather than a liability define the purpose of the system and manage it accordingly.

Premises Protection

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Building Access Control

Exits / Entrances

Hotels typically have multiple exterior doorways that serve a variety of purposes. The

security requirement for each of these entrances/exits should be addressed individually.

All entrances and exits should be well lighted and well marked. Keep every doorway free of

heavy shrubbery which could serve as a hiding place or which could obscure it from

security patrols.

If other perimeter doors are not identified as emergency exits, are not used by guests, and

are not under direct management control, they should be locked wherever possible.

Panic hardware should be placed on doors which are used primarily as exits and are locked

to prevent the door from being opened from the outside.

In colder climates, a snow removal policy should be implemented for the removal of snow

and ice from exit doors.

During their patrol, guards should check all doors to ensure they are not open or wedged to

prevent them from locking.

Remote perimeter entrances to guest areas should remain secured with electronic locks.

Signage indicating “Card key required for entry” should be posted on both sides of the

doors. In meeting and convention areas, the doors may remain open during set times.

Signage indicating “This door locked from ___ to ____. Please use key for entry” should be

posted on both sides of the door. Emergency exits should never be locked in a manner

which prevents egress.

Building code requirements for emergency exits do not prevent securing doors that might be

used for entry as long as this does not impede egress. Access control can be achieved as

follows:

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  Surveillance of entrances/exits can be maintained either visually or with closed circuit
  
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  television (CCTV).
  
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  Depending on the design of the hotel, all entrances/exits except the lobby may be
  
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  secured with electronic locks. In some areas, it might be possible to close and lock the
  
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  lobby entrances by providing an electro-mechanical lock operated from the front desk,
  
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  by the doorman, or a security officer.
  
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  A house phone or intercom may be installed near the lobby entrance. Security staff or
  
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  doormen may use this to verify registration or contact a guest awaiting a visitor.
  

Premises Protection

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Emergency Exits

Some doorways in a hotel are constructed as emergency exits. These doors can be found at

the end of guestroom corridors, at the side or rear of public areas, restaurants, lounges, and

banquet rooms, and in employee work areas.

Each emergency exit door should be clearly marked with an illuminated exit sign. No

emergency exit door should be locked in such a way as to prevent a person from exiting the

building.

Emergency exits and exit signs should never be hidden by drapes or other decorative wall

coverings. These exits should be visible and unobstructed at all times. Directional arrows

should point in the direction of the exits.

Exterior emergency exit doors which are not used as entrances should have panic hardware

installed if the door is normally kept locked. When the door is located and is not under

constant observation by the management, an alarm attached to the panic hardware may be

an effective security aid. This alarm will sound when the door is opened. If the door is too

far away for the local alarm to be heard, a remote alarm buzzer can be installed to alert the

front desk or security office when the door is opened.

Some panic hardware devices offer delayed egress. When this hardware is activated, the

hardware sounds an audible alarm, however the door's opening is delayed for 15 seconds.

Use of this type panic hardware should be approved by local fire officials before

installation.

Public Restrooms

In some cities, criminals may try to take advantage of guests or employees who might use

the hotel’s public restrooms. These areas should be patrolled routinely by security

personnel. The lighting in the restrooms should be arranged so that it operates continuously,

or is activated via motion detection. In multiple occupancy restrooms, the doors should

either remain unlocked or should be equipped with a deadbolt keyed on both sides. Hourly

checks should be made in all restrooms by security and/or management personnel. Care

should be taken to prevent loitering by undesirables in the hotel.

Premises Protection

III-12

Elevators

In hotel’s where elevators access both parking levels and guest floors, the elevator, when

possible should be programmed to stop and open on the lobby level. This gives security

and/or front desk personnel a better opportunity to observe all persons in the elevator. As

an alternative, during the late evening/early morning hours, one elevator could be

programmed to operate solely between the lower entrance floor or garage and the lobby.

This would require all passengers seeking access to the guest room floors to change

elevators in the lobby. Additionally elevators may be equipped with card readers,

requiring a valid guest room keys to access guest floors.

Alarms or telephones should be available in the elevator for use during emergencies. The

telephone should be wired to ring at the switchboard when the handset is lifted from its

hook. If the elevator is remote from the front desk and a local alarm cannot be heard, the

alarm should be wired to sound at the front desk. Elevator telephones and intercoms should

be inspected on a monthly basis.

Emergency lights should be installed in elevators through a tie-in with the emergency

generator, or, if there is no emergency generator, by installing battery-operated fixtures. If

the latter is used, the battery should be checked on a routine basis.

Signage indicating "IN CASE OF FIRE DO NOT USE ELEVATORS, USE EXIT

STAIRWAYS" should be posted at each guest and service elevator landing. Ashtrays

should be provided at each elevator landing.

Except in the case of emergencies, elevator extractions by hotel staff should be discouraged.

All contracts for service should be reviewed by the legal department.

Premises Protection

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Unauthorized Persons

A hotel, although open to the public, is private property. Management has the responsibility

to monitor and, when appropriate, to control the activities of persons on the premises.

However, it is imperative that any activities that limit the freedom of movement of any

person or persons in the hotel be undertaken by the hotel's staff with the utmost discretion.

Laws applicable to places of public accommodation govern the eviction of a person.

Management should review the country, state or municipality statutes applicable to the

hotel's location utilizing the legal department if necessary.

Hotels can be burdened with vagrants and other undesirables because the lobby may

appear to be a public place and provide a place to get "out of the weather," to "panhandle"

or to find an easy victim for a burglary.

Encourage room attendants, bellmen, housemen, and other personnel who move about the

property to report suspicious persons to the front office or security. Also, they should be

asked to report anyone who is seen in possession of an illegal substance or weapon.

After observation of the individual, the security officer or a member of management

should approach the person and very politely ask if they are a guest in the hotel. If the

person does not belong in the hotel, they should be asked to leave the property and be

advised not to return under penalty of arrest as a trespasser. If possible, a picture should

be taken of the person as well as noting their name, date, and the circumstances of the

incident. A sample Criminal Trespass Warning form is included in the appendix. If the

individual refuses to leave, contact the local police for assistance. The individual should

not be taken into custody, detained or chased.

Hotel facilities are not deemed open to the public. No one other than guests, legitimate

visitors of guests, invitees and customers should be in these areas. Back of the house areas

should be restricted to hotel employees and other authorized individuals.

Unauthorized persons should not be allowed to enter the hotel through the employee

entrance unless approved by a department head. If approval is given, then they should be

escorted to their destination. Unauthorized persons entering the back of the house areas

from public spaces should be reported to security.

All contractors performing work in the hotel should report to management or security every

workday. They should provide a list of the total number and names of all persons that will

actually be working in or on the property that workday. Management/Security should

consider issuing temporary nametags with an expiration date for the contractor's employees.

Premises Protection

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