Electronic locks increase accountability, reduce vandalism in Arizona

Tolleson, Ariz., works diligently to oversee and maintain the safety and upkeep of the city’s public spaces – including sidewalks, streets, walkways, parks and alleyways – for its roughly 7,100 residents.

According to city code, residents are responsible for the upkeep of their respective alleyways. However, because city alleyways are also accessible to the public, the city has faced several obstacles when enforcing this ordinance. With public access granted, the alleyways became subject to illegal dumping, graffiti and trespassing, which interfered with resident maintenance and reduced both city sanitation and safety.

After multiple attempts to restrict alleyway access, the city decided to close off alleyways entirely, utilizing Master Lock’s Bluetooth-enabled padlocks and the the company’s Vault Enterprise platform to manage and monitor alleyway access. Using these products in conjunction, city can secure its alleyways and remotely grant or revoke access to residents, utility companies and other city departments when needed.

In exploring solutions, Tolleson sought to prevent unauthorized access of alleyways and encourage resident participation in alleyway maintenance. It was crucial for the city to find an efficient way to manage access between multiple parties, using reliable locks and an easy-to-use, integrated system.

Prior to implementing the system, Tolleson limited alleyway access using concrete bollards that could only be removed with a single master key. Residents soon began duplicating the key instead of waiting for the City staff to fulfill the key request, creating the challenge of regulating alleyway access. Now, operations teams have eliminated the hassle of physical key management, knowing keys wouldn’t be lost, copied or given to unauthorized users.

Additionally, the city can now remotely grant or restrict access to alleyways, ensuring the space is secure and residents or other authorized personnel can enter when needed. Once residents and authorized personnel apply and are verified for the program, they’re able to gain alleyway access via smartphone app or temporary codes distributed by the field operations team.

Another added benefit of the system is an Increased ability to collect and monitor data. The city now has the ability to monitor who accessed which alleyways and at what time, increasing accountability among authorized parties and aiding in police investigations surrounding alleyway crimes. The system also records GPS locations any time a phone interacts with a lock, providing the facilities operations team with a useful tool to track the lock’s last known location and reducing the amount of replacement locks needed.