5 Spots Thieves Hit First on Commercial Properties

A retail store owner arrives to find a smashed front door. An office building manager discovers copper stripped from a rooftop HVAC unit. A shopping center learns that vacant storefronts were broken into overnight and no one noticed. Retailers are reporting more of it. According to the National Retail Federation’s latest survey, 40% of retailers reported an increase in organized retail crime incidents in 2025.

Thieves go where no one is watching. After hours, that usually means parking areas, rooftops, loading docks, entrances and vacant spaces.

The good news is, solutions and partners exist to help commercial real estate properties, from office buildings to retail locations, proactively deter crime. Here are five areas worth paying closer attention to and how remote video monitoring can help protect them.

1. Parking garages and lots

More than a third of thefts from autos in Cincinnati happen in parking lots and garages, according to information presented to a city council committee considering new parking security requirements. Parking lots and garages are difficult to secure, especially at night. Vehicles can be left unattended for hours, and larger parking areas make activity harder to spot.

These incidents can also create liability concerns. In 2019, a Georgia jury awarded nearly $70 million to a man who was robbed and shot in a Kroger parking lot that did not have security stationed outside.

2. Rooftop HVAC units and copper

In Winnipeg, copper thefts from commercial air conditioning units caused approximately $90,000 in damage, despite the stolen copper being worth less than $5,000.

Rooftop HVAC systems are a common target because they are usually harder to see and contain valuable copper components. In Las Cruces, New Mexico, police linked more than $1.5 million in losses to thefts involving commercial HVAC systems and most of the incidents happened overnight.

3. Loading docks and trash enclosures

In October 2026, thieves stole nearly $1 million worth of rare Pokémon and sports cards from a FedEx truck parked outside a business in Santa Ana, California. According to ABC7, the theft occurred while the driver was away from the vehicle for approximately 60 to 90 minutes.

Loading docks carry the same risk, since freight sits unattended while drivers and staff are inside. They’re typically located behind buildings, away from public view, and see a steady flow of deliveries, vehicles and workers throughout the day.

4. Building entrances and after-hours access points

In October 2026, police in Chicago reported that 19 businesses on the Northwest Side were hit in a string of smash-and-grab burglaries. Offenders used a brick to break through front doors and windows, then took cash registers or merchandise.

Entrances are where a business is most exposed once everyone goes home. For retail, that means front doors and glass storefronts. For office buildings, it means front lobbies, side doors and employee entrances that see steady traffic during the day and almost nothing at night.

5. Vacant units and suites

In Kenner, Louisiana, police arrested a man suspected of operating a large-scale copper theft ring out of a vacant Macy’s. Investigators found about 200 feet of copper wiring that had been removed and staged outside the building.

Vacant retail spaces, offices and apartment units can draw the same kind of activity, particularly when they sit empty for long periods of time. With no tenants or employees regularly occupying these spaces, suspicious activity may go unnoticed until someone visits the property.

The Solution: Remote Video Monitoring

Each of these spots has the same weakness. After hours, no one is watching. Remote video monitoring fills that gap with live operators who can see activity as it happens. Cameras on parking areas, roof hatches, dock doors, entrances and vacant-unit access points show operators when someone is somewhere they shouldn’t be, whether that is a person checking car doors, a ladder being climbed or a delivery vehicle backing up at an odd hour.

Operators can then issue audio warnings and contact law enforcement, which gives property managers the chance to stop an incident before the copper is cut, the door is smashed or the freight is gone. If something does happen, the recorded footage gives property managers a clear record to share with police. Operators do the watching, so properties can cover parking lots, rooftops, loading docks and empty suites without anyone physically on-site.

Where should property managers focus first?

Not every area of a commercial property faces the same security risks. A practical way to prioritize is to look at where activity goes unseen the longest after hours and where a loss would cost the most. At many properties, that points to parking areas, rooftop access points, loading docks, entrances and vacant spaces.

Taking a closer look at these areas can help property managers identify gaps and determine where around the clock monitoring may be needed. ECAM’s AI-powered surveillance solutions and remote guards keep watch on these areas when you’re not around, detecting and deterring thieves before they ever have a chance to impact your property.

Want to see where your property could use additional coverage? Talk to our team.