Safer Parking Initiative Celebrates Success at One Year Anniversary

Safer Parking Award certified facilities see 25% decrease in crime

VANCOUVER, February 10, 2009 – The Safer Parking Initiative is pleased to announce a successful first year of the Safer Parking Program with Safer Parking Awarded facilities on average realizing a 25% decrease in crime within the last year. Many facilities also reported zero-crime occurrences during several months last year.

"There is still a 1 in 1,300 chance that you could experience crime in uncertified Vancouver parking lots, which is four times higher than the Safer Parking Award certified facility minimum standard (1:5,000)", warns Colin Brown, COO of Canadian Direct Insurance, the primary sponsor of the Safer Parking Initiative. "In a Safer Parking Award certified facility your chance of experiencing crime can be nearly 1 in 25,000, with some facilities experiencing zero-crime."

One case-in-point is the Harbour Centre parking facility at 450 Cordova Street that saw a 93% decrease in crime. Several years ago the 650-stall lot underwent a $5million dollar renovation that included structural and cosmetic improvements. The upgrades also included the installation of 8 state-of-the-art code blue stations that act as 24/7 virtual security guards. When a customer hits the code blue station alarm they are instantly connected via phone to a nearby security center and a camera zooms in on the station as a strobe light revolves.

"Our parking facility was older, like many of the facilities in Vancouver," says Doug Hume, Vice- President of Polaris Realty. "With a 93% decrease in crime over the last three years and our parking facility continually reaching capacity, the investment was well worth it."

Diamond Parking and Easy Park have also invested as little as $400 to upwards of $1 million to improve the safety in their facilities with the goal of reducing security costs associated with crime and creating a safer environment for customers, while increasing parking capacity and encouraging longer stays.

The Safer Parking Initiative is a partnership between VPD, Canadian Direct Insurance and a coalition of business partners and community organizations whose mandate is to improve the perception and reality of safety in Vancouver’s parking facilities, helping to make Vancouver a more desirable place to work, live and visit.

For more information visit www.SaferParkingVancouver.com

SAFER PARKING AWARD FACILITIES:

• 160 Water St. (EasyPark)

• 701 W. Georgia St. (EasyPark)

• 777 Dunsmuir St. (EasyPark)

• 900 W. Cordova St. (EasyPark)

• Pacific Palisades Hotel (Diamond Parking)

• Jewish Community Centre 950 W. 41^st Ave (Diamond Parking)

• Bentall Centre, 540 Thurlow St. (Advanced Parking) 

• Bentall Centre, 550 Burrard St. (Advanced Parking)

• Bentall Centre, 1040 W. Pender St. (Advanced Parking)

• 500 W. Cordova St. Harbour Centre (Owned by Polaris Realty, managed by Impark)

• 450 W. Cordova St., Harbour Centre (Owned by Polaris Realty, managed by Impark)

• 999 W. Hastings St. Axa Building (Owned by Polaris Realty, managed by Impark)

• Westin Bayshore Main Parkade, 1620 Bayshore Drive (Managed by Westin)

• Westin Bayshore Central Parkade, 1675 Bayshore Drive (Managed by Westin)

• 1495 W. 8^th Ave (Diamond Parking)

• 933 Seymour St. (Diamond Parking)

• Capers Market, 1675 Robson St. (Diamond Parking)

• 1505 Mariners Walk (Diamond Parking)

• 2150 W. Broadway (Diamond Parking)

• 1154 W. Broadway (Diamond Parking)

• 817 Denman St. (Diamond Parking)

• 1420 W. Georgia St. (Diamond Parking)

• 2012 McDonald St. (Diamond Parking)

• 1131 – 1151 Haro St. (In rear alley, Diamond Parking)

• 1034 -1040 Robson St. (in rear alley, Diamond Parking)