How to secure apartment building common areas

How to secure apartment building common areas

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What is it about apartment common areas that imply they are "No Man's Land"?

Whenever I hold a security seminar, concerns about unidentified people walking through the building are raised. Common areas, collectively, belong to all owners and should be monitored as carefully as they would their own apartments. Apartment owners surely would not allow wanderers to stroll through their personal units whenever they felt like it. The same rules should apply to apartment common areas. Nobody should be in these areas unless invited into the building by an owner or property manager.

A building is only as secure as its weakest person, so it is important to inform all owners of the importance of monitoring who has access. This leads me to the next question, "How are these intruders getting into the building"?

There are a number of ways they can enter, most of which could be addressed with a proper "Target Harding Program". Such a program utilizes physical locks and lock hardware to help prevent unwanted visitors.

However, my greatest concern is the "obliging" apartment owner. This person does not hesitate in pushing the front door release to allow a stranger into the building without first coming to the main door to check their credentials.

The obliging owner may inadvertently breach all security measures, possibly costing the building and its owners thousands of dollars in stolen vehicles and merchandise, damaged private property and worse yet, jeopardizing personal safety.

The seriousness of this problem is forcing some apartment buildings to install timers to restrict front door release times. These timers will not allow an owner to release the front door from their apartment after a certain time. For example, if the cut-off time is 8 p.m. An apartment owner must go to the main door to admit a guest after hours.

Another area of access is the parking garage. Ensure no one sneaks in behind you when you are entering through the overhead garage door. It's a good idea to install lots of light in this "Stop and Watch" area so visibility is enhanced.

Common areas need additional scrutiny too. If someone is about to enter the building as you enter, inform them that apartment security does not allow any visitor entry without first contacting an apartment owner on the enterphone panel.

Remember, the easiest way to prevent the sneaky thief is to be aware and not let him or her in.