Electronic key control systems are instrumental for university campus security teams to ensure compliance, reduce liability, and reinforce security and safety for the entire campus population. Key control systems manage assets, track keys, and provide access control, all of which are essential for reducing the risk of theft and other security incidents. To keep security procedures running smoothly on campus property, let’s review 3 essential habits that are a must for campus security teams.
1. Review and amend the key control policy quarterly
Schedule quarterly reviews, audits, and updates to the campus key control policy. Conduct checklist audits and verify that every door and lock and all the keys that belong to them are included in the master key control plan. Whenever renovations or key and locking replacements are installed, the old keys must be replaced with the new keys and programmed into the electronic key control system. Purge the old keys. Conducting a quarterly key control audit ensures that there is less likelihood of anything missing from the plan, and timely audits make it easier for all review periods and year-end master security plan audits.
2. Assign specific keys to specific users
All school campus departments gain increased productivity and efficiency from electronic key control systems. Key control systems secure and track all physical keys and lock away assets, such as food and beverage provisions, supplies, equipment, computer hardware, and motorized vehicle keys. Criteria can be programmed into the key control system to customize by date, time, days of the week, shifts and even by job title. All key removals and returns are automatically recorded, which is beneficial for security incident investigations. The system tracks which keys have been removed from the system and by whom, and when and where they have been returned.
3. Train employees
The ease of using key control systems makes it straightforward for security managers and key control administrators to train university campus employees. Keeping track of newly hired employees and those who have left their jobs is essential to keep the key control system current with a set of authorized users. Adding and removing users is simple to do with on-screen prompts to follow. The system has many features, such as “notes,” which are helpful to add using the touchscreen interface for information or instructions needed to communicate to employees reporting to duty for subsequent work shifts. Besides the key control system, provide a written key control policy along with the rules for key control usage to each new hire as a component of their security training.
Staying organized when implementing a key control policy and electronic key control system can save the headaches of missing or stolen keys and unauthorized key usage throughout the year. Also, reduced incidents of theft on university campuses due to electronic key control system usage will increase safety and security and decrease security incidents and liability.
For more information about key control for school campuses, read our white paper: “Reimagining Key Control for Universities.”
