How to secure an apartment block

How to secure an apartment block

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It's time to toughen up apartment building parkades. Residents need to feel safe and secure when entering and exiting these areas, but they are attracting burglars in epidemic proportions.

The residents of apartment complexes do have choices. Choices that begin with a proper security evaluation. Your security professional will set sights on these targeted areas and incorporate methods to help eradicate vehicle damage and theft.

A good security plan must contain two main elements: safety and security. Also, buildings must be in compliance with the fire codes. So, before incorporating any security changes make sure that you contact the fire department to review your proposed changes.

I constantly have customers say to me that there is nothing they can do to secure the parkade area because the fire codes won't allow locks on certain doors. In fact, there are several areas within most buildings that can be secured, restricting intruders, while still abiding by the fire code.

Stairwell doors leading to each floor, in some cases can be secured, preventing floor access without a key.

Doors leading to parkade areas which normally allow free walk-through can sometimes be secured.

Locks can be installed in elevators, restricting access to downstairs parking areas.

Door knobs can be eliminated on the outside of parkade doors. Door knobs in these vulnerable areas only become a challenge to burglars. Install full-length astragals on your outside parkade doors making sure to cover over the lock area. This door now becomes an exit only, with a knob on the inside only.

Don't think you can't install deadbolts on parkade outside doors. This is a costly misconception. The fact is that the fire department, in most cases, will allow a deadbolt on these doors as long as it doesn't take more than a 90-degree turn to open it.

Parkades are quite often dark, creating several hiding spots for intruders. Install lots of lighting throughout the area to assure that burglars are not lingering in darkness.

Remove all air hoses that run along the parkade floor. These hoses allow the overhead garage door to be opened when driven over or stepped on.

Check that your overhead garage door has a beam that prevents it from descending on your vehicle. If it does, make sure that when in the open position the door does not stay up for more than six seconds. This will help to prevent the sneak thief from following behind a vehicle. Always wait for the overhead garage door to descend completely before entering and exiting. Everybody must be aware of this "stop and watch" area.

And make sure that your overhead garage door opener has a code encryptor. This device hops to billions of different codes stored in its memory, foiling thieves with code grabbers.