The end of the year is the perfect time for Colorado businesses to review their physical security. Holiday staffing changes, reduced hours, and increased foot traffic create vulnerabilities that can carry into the new year if not addressed.

Here’s a comprehensive, locksmith-focused commercial security audit for 2025–2026.

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1. Audit All Door Hardware

Check every door used for:

• Customer entry
• Employee entry
• Back rooms
• Deliveries
• Emergency exits

Look for:
✔ Misaligned latches
✔ Weak or loose strike plates
✔ Rusted hardware
✔ Binding deadbolts
✔ Delamination on metal doors
✔ Worn-out hinges causing sagging

If a door doesn’t close and latch properly, your entire building is vulnerable.

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2. Review Your Key Control System

Lost key accountability is a HUGE issue for businesses.

Ask yourself:

• Who has keys right now?
• Has anyone quit recently?
• Do former employees still have copies?
• Can any key be duplicated at a hardware store?

If the answer to any of these is unclear → rekey before January.

For even better protection, upgrade to restricted keyways.
They stop unauthorized key copying completely.

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3. Inspect Your Access Control System (If You Have One)

Access control is one of the most effective tools a business can invest in — but it needs periodic attention.

Check for:
✔ Expired users still in the system
✔ Doors not fully latching
✔ Fobs or cards with poor read ranges
✔ Outdated PINs
✔ Dead batteries on electronic hardware
✔ Logs showing repeated access failures

We can reprogram, repair, or upgrade older systems.

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4. Evaluate Your Camera Coverage

Your cameras should protect the areas that matter most.

Review camera angles for:

• Employee entrances
• Customer flow areas
• Storage rooms
• Cash handling locations
• Parking lots
• Loading docks

Look for blind spots, glare issues, low-light problems, and poor resolution.
If cameras are older than 5–7 years, consider upgrading to modern systems (Milesight, Uniview, Hanwha, etc.).

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5. Inspect Safes & Cash Handling Procedures

Year-end is a common time for internal theft.

Audit:
✔ Who has the safe combination?
✔ Should the combination be changed?
✔ Does the safe latch properly?
✔ Are there signs of tampering?
✔ Does the safe need a lock upgrade or servicing?

If you have employees leaving at year-end, always change combinations.

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6. Check for Wear & Tear From Winter Conditions

Winter wreaks havoc on commercial hardware.

Inspect:

• Rusty panic bars
• Salt corrosion around door thresholds
• Weather stripping failure
• Iced-over locks
• Misalignment from freeze-thaw cycles

Fixing these early prevents mid-winter emergencies.

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7. Plan Your 2026 Security Budget Intelligently

Instead of emergency calls in the middle of the year, use December to plan ahead.

Consider budgeting for:
✔ Door hardware upgrades
✔ New camera systems
✔ Access control expansion
✔ Rekeying schedules
✔ Emergency exit hardware
✔ Safe upgrades
✔ Key control systems

Proactive beats reactive every time.

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Need a Year-End Security Audit? We Can Help.

Our commercial locksmith division can evaluate your doors, locks, access control, cameras, and safes before the new year.

📞 Aurora: (303) 745-5500
📞 Parker: (303) 745-5000
🌐 arapahoesecurity.com

Start 2026 secure, compliant, and prepared.

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