WHAT EMERGENCY NUMBER?
On October 9, 2008, the Maintenance Emergency Number a member of The Lofts at Noho Commons Residents’ Committee was told to call on October 3, 2008 by the Building Manager, Octavio Sanchez of Legacy Partners Residential, Inc. was still not functioning.
"The number you have dialed is temporarily not in service."
Mr. Sanchez was asked days ago if this was the same "Emergency Number" that was given upon the day of move-in one year ago. The same number, which didn't work at that time. His response was that it is a different number.
When our friend and neighbor was incapacitated last week and not able to move, and demanded assistance, what would have been the response time? When a full elevator was stuck months ago with several residents, and their pets, and the call button was pressed, only to be told, "They were in Orange County, and may take an hour to get there," whom can they call, and how long would it have taken? In this instance, LAFD was called afterwards and were rescued 15 minutes later.
What is the proper contact information in the event of an emergency? Who is being called with the Emergency Number? What is the expected response time? What is the proper protocol that is expected from the residents?
Please send all correspondence
for The Lofts at Noho Commons Residents' Committee
via this link.
http://s438.photobucket.com/albums/qq106/loftsatnohocommons/
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
VANSIHING KEYS
A resident was working out in the gym tonight, when the resident’s keys disappeared. There were a total of six other individuals that were in the gym at one point or another while the resident was working out, two of which the resident never saw before.
We are hoping that the keys were picked up accidentally.
Los Angeles Police Department, North Hollywood Division and Group Investigative Services, (Courtesy Patrol) were informed of the situation.
The Emergency Number for The Lofts at Noho Commons was dialed tonight several times, as per instructions given to a representative of The Lofts at Noho Commons Residents’ Committee by the Building Manager, Octavio Sanchez of Legacy Partners Residential, Inc. on October 3, 2008. That number is 818-415-2062. When that number was dialed several times tonight, the number had a recording stating, “the number you have dialed was temporarily not in service.”
Members of The Lofts at Noho Commons Residents’ Committee and the resident knocked on the Building Manager’s apartment door. The obvious concerns were for the resident and the resident’s family’s safety. The Building Manager was able to have a staff member replace the lock to the domicile by 11:30 (23:30 hours) tonight.
The resident and I spoke to the four other residents at the gym. One of the four residents has had house keys stolen at the pool at an earlier date.
A police report will be filed, and videotape will be reviewed.
Please send all correspondence
for The Lofts at Noho Commons Residents' Committee
via this link.
http://s438.photobucket.com/albums/qq106/loftsatnohocommons/
We are hoping that the keys were picked up accidentally.
Los Angeles Police Department, North Hollywood Division and Group Investigative Services, (Courtesy Patrol) were informed of the situation.
The Emergency Number for The Lofts at Noho Commons was dialed tonight several times, as per instructions given to a representative of The Lofts at Noho Commons Residents’ Committee by the Building Manager, Octavio Sanchez of Legacy Partners Residential, Inc. on October 3, 2008. That number is 818-415-2062. When that number was dialed several times tonight, the number had a recording stating, “the number you have dialed was temporarily not in service.”
Members of The Lofts at Noho Commons Residents’ Committee and the resident knocked on the Building Manager’s apartment door. The obvious concerns were for the resident and the resident’s family’s safety. The Building Manager was able to have a staff member replace the lock to the domicile by 11:30 (23:30 hours) tonight.
The resident and I spoke to the four other residents at the gym. One of the four residents has had house keys stolen at the pool at an earlier date.
A police report will be filed, and videotape will be reviewed.
Please send all correspondence
for The Lofts at Noho Commons Residents' Committee
via this link.
http://s438.photobucket.com/albums/qq106/loftsatnohocommons/
Sunday, October 5, 2008
GRAFFITI
A resident left a message on my voicemail at 8:16PM (20:16 hours) tonight regarding graffiti in the parking structure near the Chandler Boulevard elevators. Her concern was that it may be of a gang marking it's territory. - Cell Phone Photo -October 5, 2008
Click on the photo to see entire image.
Please send all correspondence
for The Lofts at Noho Commons Residents' Committee
via this link.
http://s438.photobucket.com/albums/qq106/loftsatnohocommons/
Click on the photo to see entire image.
Please send all correspondence
for The Lofts at Noho Commons Residents' Committee
via this link.
http://s438.photobucket.com/albums/qq106/loftsatnohocommons/
SAFETY AND MANNERS
SAFETY AND MANNERS
This morning I walked around the common areas starting at about 12:45AM. I started on the fourth floor and was able to record using the camera on my iPhone, light fixtures with lamps not functioning, areas not well lit, two locks in a stairwell, which felt flimsy, bags of trash near the elevators on Chandler Boulevard which could have been discarded yards away in the trash room, bags of trash outside multiple residents’ apartment doors, (one of which I know has been there for at least three days), several residents’ allowing their pets to “go” in the grass areas, (two of which had bags with them to clean up after their pets, and did walk them outside after my approaching them), and a resident on the third floor smoking a cigarette near the Chandler Boulevard elevators, discarding it by throwing it down to the second floor.
Management is making an effort to keep our home safe and clean, but it takes a little effort from all of us as well. There is dog urine and feces throughout the common areas, which if all of the pet owners were mindful and cared enough about where they lived, would pick up after their pets. Of the few that I have witnessed and approached personally, most seemed surprised and dismissed the significance of their actions, or lack there of. There are cigarette butts throughout the common areas as well. I understand not smoking in his or her own apartments, but the rest of the property is everyone’s home as well. Please be mindful of our home. This is a beautiful property, and it is all of our responsibility to do our part.
I would also like to remind everyone to remain vigilant of his or her surroundings. This afternoon I scared two young teenagers running down the ramp. Moments later I saw the same two with another young boy running towards the Metro parking lot. Regardless of their intentions, it was clear they do not live here. It is no different than seeing a car drive down, circle the parking lot slowly once, and then leave. Obviously, the occupants of the vehicle are not residents, and the individuals may have unclear motives to anyone within their line of sight. This is something I have seen more than a dozen times since I have lived here, and every time has left me feeling uneasy. Please be aware of your surroundings.
Thank you.
Please send all correspondence
for The Lofts at Noho Commons Residents' Committee
via this link.
This morning I walked around the common areas starting at about 12:45AM. I started on the fourth floor and was able to record using the camera on my iPhone, light fixtures with lamps not functioning, areas not well lit, two locks in a stairwell, which felt flimsy, bags of trash near the elevators on Chandler Boulevard which could have been discarded yards away in the trash room, bags of trash outside multiple residents’ apartment doors, (one of which I know has been there for at least three days), several residents’ allowing their pets to “go” in the grass areas, (two of which had bags with them to clean up after their pets, and did walk them outside after my approaching them), and a resident on the third floor smoking a cigarette near the Chandler Boulevard elevators, discarding it by throwing it down to the second floor.
Management is making an effort to keep our home safe and clean, but it takes a little effort from all of us as well. There is dog urine and feces throughout the common areas, which if all of the pet owners were mindful and cared enough about where they lived, would pick up after their pets. Of the few that I have witnessed and approached personally, most seemed surprised and dismissed the significance of their actions, or lack there of. There are cigarette butts throughout the common areas as well. I understand not smoking in his or her own apartments, but the rest of the property is everyone’s home as well. Please be mindful of our home. This is a beautiful property, and it is all of our responsibility to do our part.
I would also like to remind everyone to remain vigilant of his or her surroundings. This afternoon I scared two young teenagers running down the ramp. Moments later I saw the same two with another young boy running towards the Metro parking lot. Regardless of their intentions, it was clear they do not live here. It is no different than seeing a car drive down, circle the parking lot slowly once, and then leave. Obviously, the occupants of the vehicle are not residents, and the individuals may have unclear motives to anyone within their line of sight. This is something I have seen more than a dozen times since I have lived here, and every time has left me feeling uneasy. Please be aware of your surroundings.
Thank you.
Please send all correspondence
for The Lofts at Noho Commons Residents' Committee
via this link.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
EMERGENCY NUMBER
EMERGENCY NUMBER
Please note The Lofts at Noho Commons has an Emergency Number.
That number is 818-415-2062.
Last night a resident was physically down and needed assistance. The resident was incapacitated and not able to move. We were able to communicate via cell phone. The resident was fully cognitive, and showed no signs of physical distress.
The Lofts at Noho Commons Residents' Committee Chairman, John Garofalo was contacted via phone then proceeded to contact in person the Building Manager for the property, Octavio Sanchez of Legacy Partners Residential, Inc. Mr. Sanchez retrieved a key, which allowed entry into the domicile. At that time, the resident was assisted and raised from the ground. The resident showed no signs of physical injury from the fall.
We were given permission to disclose this information by the resident involved.
Mr. Sanchez informed us of an Emergency Number to call, in the event of such an incident occurring again.
That number again is 818-415-2062.
I would like to personally thank all involved for the assistance and caring for our friend. Thank you.
Please note The Lofts at Noho Commons has an Emergency Number.
That number is 818-415-2062.
Last night a resident was physically down and needed assistance. The resident was incapacitated and not able to move. We were able to communicate via cell phone. The resident was fully cognitive, and showed no signs of physical distress.
The Lofts at Noho Commons Residents' Committee Chairman, John Garofalo was contacted via phone then proceeded to contact in person the Building Manager for the property, Octavio Sanchez of Legacy Partners Residential, Inc. Mr. Sanchez retrieved a key, which allowed entry into the domicile. At that time, the resident was assisted and raised from the ground. The resident showed no signs of physical injury from the fall.
We were given permission to disclose this information by the resident involved.
Mr. Sanchez informed us of an Emergency Number to call, in the event of such an incident occurring again.
That number again is 818-415-2062.
I would like to personally thank all involved for the assistance and caring for our friend. Thank you.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Apartment Security Tips, be safe and secure
Apartment Security Tips, be safe and secure.
http://www.surveillanceforsecurity.com/apartment-security-tips.html
Before reading, and hopefully absorbing, these apartment security tips - please read this article on security for apartment living first.
http://www.surveillanceforsecurity.com/apartment-security.html
Apartment Security Tips
Do not have your apartment number on your parking space; it gives burglars a big clue as to whether there is somebody at home or not. If it is the system for your building to mark parking spaces with apartment numbers, agitate to get the system changed.
Always report any common area lighting that is not working (burnt out bulbs etc.) Don't leave it to others, they likely won't report it. Make sure that your building management gets the lighting working as soon as possible.
This applies to outside as well as inside lighting. You do not want dark pathways or parking areas.
A strategically positioned mirror will enable you to see around corridor corners or other places that a villain could be lurking. These mirrors are a positive security measure, will not cost your building's management much and should be easy for them to install.
If your apartment building has a laundry room don't use it alone, team up with a neighbor. Not only is it safer but more sociable as well.
apartment security tips
Apartment living can be safe and secure if you apply a little common sense and these apartment security tips
How are the bushes and shrubs around your apartment complex? Are they a little overgrown? Burglars love cover. Make sure that maintenance does its job and keeps plant-life under control and trimmed back. The more exposed any open areas are the less chance there will be of prowlers.
Although fencing around the building is a good idea it should not provide cover for an intruder. Slated fencing or other fencing that enables anyone on the grounds to be seen is a better security measure than a solid barrier.
Does your apartment door have a mail slot? Make sure that a prowler or burglar cannot look through it into your apartment to check who, if anyone, is at home. Fit a cover, or a box, on the inside so you can get your bills and junk mail but nobody can see into your home.
Do not have an address tag on your keys. If you lose your keys, or they get stolen, have your locks or the cylinder changed pronto. You will most likely have to bare the cost but that is far preferable than having keys that open up your apartment ending up in the hands of a thief.
It almost goes without saying that you should never leave your keys with anyone that you do not absolutely trust. Ask yourself would you trust them with your money? No? Then don't trust them with your keys.
If you are renting your apartment don't just assume that you are covered by the building management's insurance, find out if you are or not. If not, get covered, it is not over costly and worth it for the peace of mind. Don't let insurance cover make you lax in apartment security though.
Never give details to anyone about the times that you are likely to be out of your apartment. If someone phones pretending to be a telemarketer or conducting a survey and you tell them you are out at work from dawn to dusk, then that information could be an early Christmas present for a thief.
Apartment Security Tips - The Elevator.
Check to see who is inside before stepping into the elevator. If there is someone that you don't recognize, and you don't like the look of them, simply wait for the next one.
If someone suspicious looking, or acting, gets in - you get out before the door closes.
If you can, always stand by the control panel. Familiarize yourself as to exactly where the alarm button is, so you can hit it promptly if the need arises.
Never get in an elevator that has no lighting. If the lighting is not working then maintenance needs to fix it straight away.
Apartment living can be safe and secure if you apply a little common sense and these apartment security tips along with the advice on this page.
http://www.surveillanceforsecurity.com/apartment-security-tips.html
Before reading, and hopefully absorbing, these apartment security tips - please read this article on security for apartment living first.
http://www.surveillanceforsecurity.com/apartment-security.html
Apartment Security Tips
Do not have your apartment number on your parking space; it gives burglars a big clue as to whether there is somebody at home or not. If it is the system for your building to mark parking spaces with apartment numbers, agitate to get the system changed.
Always report any common area lighting that is not working (burnt out bulbs etc.) Don't leave it to others, they likely won't report it. Make sure that your building management gets the lighting working as soon as possible.
This applies to outside as well as inside lighting. You do not want dark pathways or parking areas.
A strategically positioned mirror will enable you to see around corridor corners or other places that a villain could be lurking. These mirrors are a positive security measure, will not cost your building's management much and should be easy for them to install.
If your apartment building has a laundry room don't use it alone, team up with a neighbor. Not only is it safer but more sociable as well.
apartment security tips
Apartment living can be safe and secure if you apply a little common sense and these apartment security tips
How are the bushes and shrubs around your apartment complex? Are they a little overgrown? Burglars love cover. Make sure that maintenance does its job and keeps plant-life under control and trimmed back. The more exposed any open areas are the less chance there will be of prowlers.
Although fencing around the building is a good idea it should not provide cover for an intruder. Slated fencing or other fencing that enables anyone on the grounds to be seen is a better security measure than a solid barrier.
Does your apartment door have a mail slot? Make sure that a prowler or burglar cannot look through it into your apartment to check who, if anyone, is at home. Fit a cover, or a box, on the inside so you can get your bills and junk mail but nobody can see into your home.
Do not have an address tag on your keys. If you lose your keys, or they get stolen, have your locks or the cylinder changed pronto. You will most likely have to bare the cost but that is far preferable than having keys that open up your apartment ending up in the hands of a thief.
It almost goes without saying that you should never leave your keys with anyone that you do not absolutely trust. Ask yourself would you trust them with your money? No? Then don't trust them with your keys.
If you are renting your apartment don't just assume that you are covered by the building management's insurance, find out if you are or not. If not, get covered, it is not over costly and worth it for the peace of mind. Don't let insurance cover make you lax in apartment security though.
Never give details to anyone about the times that you are likely to be out of your apartment. If someone phones pretending to be a telemarketer or conducting a survey and you tell them you are out at work from dawn to dusk, then that information could be an early Christmas present for a thief.
Apartment Security Tips - The Elevator.
Check to see who is inside before stepping into the elevator. If there is someone that you don't recognize, and you don't like the look of them, simply wait for the next one.
If someone suspicious looking, or acting, gets in - you get out before the door closes.
If you can, always stand by the control panel. Familiarize yourself as to exactly where the alarm button is, so you can hit it promptly if the need arises.
Never get in an elevator that has no lighting. If the lighting is not working then maintenance needs to fix it straight away.
Apartment living can be safe and secure if you apply a little common sense and these apartment security tips along with the advice on this page.
Apartment Security
Apartment Security
http://www.surveillanceforsecurity.com/apartment-security.html
Improve your apartment security and live safely.
When it comes to burglary and other in-the-home crime, those of us that live in apartments are perhaps slightly more at risk than those that live in houses. This is, to an extent, because your apartment security is not completely under your own control. Security for the building itself is mainly in the control of the management.
Some multi-occupancy building managers, or owners, treat protecting their tenants very seriously, others do not. If you feel that the security of your apartment building could be improved in some way you should not hesitate in pointing this out to the management.
If, in spite of your repeated efforts to get security improved, the management does not act you could look for another apartment complex where apartment security and the well being of occupants is given a higher priority.
Another reason why apartment owners, or renters, are at greater risk than house owners is because of the possibility of intruders wandering around casing the building. Even if you know every occupant, you would not know who was a visitor and who wasn't.
Entry-phone systems or manned security desks go a long way to reduce this problem, but some criminals are very inventive and find a way around such measures.
Neighbors - very effective for apartment security.
Probably the single most effective thing that you can do to improve your apartment's security is to join, and participate in, neighborhood watch.
Apartment buildings often have their own neighborhood watch groups; they are not just for streets or blocks. If your building does not have a watch - start one! Really, it's easy, it’s fun and it works. The first step is to inquire at your local police station; you will find them a tremendous help.
Neighbor looking out for neighbor is vital for security in an apartment complex. If all the occupants know each other then it is far easier to spot someone who should not be in the building.
If your neighbors know what times of the day you are out, or know when you are away on business or vacation, and they hear someone moving about inside your apartment they would know that something is likely amiss. If they don't know you or your habits and they heard noise from your apartment they probably would assume that it is you.
There are many other ways in which a neighborhood group can improve apartment security. Patrols can be organized to make regular tours of the building and parking lot. Report any suspicious persons to the police or to the management. Do not place yourselves in personal danger.
Apartment watch groups can publish a news bulletin that highlights local crime and scams that are being carried out in the area. The bulletin can also pass on tips for improving security.
Also, complaints to the management about shortfalls in apartment security carry more weight when made by a group of organized tenants, you can count on it. Suggestions made by the group for improving protection will also stand a greater chance of being listened to . . . and implemented.
Doors . . .
Before you move into your new apartment have the locks on all your doors re-keyed. If you have to shell out for this, so be it, it is not very costly and worth the added apartment security.
You should have a deadbolt lock on your front door. If you can organize it have an arrangement with the building management that they hold a copy of the key sealed in an envelope. This key is strictly for emergency use only, not for deliveries or the like. This is a more secure arrangement than a master key system.
Knock, knock! Do you know who is at your apartment door before you open it? Don’t rely on a door chain, which can be very easily forced. Install a through the door viewer, these little telescope devices let you see who is there and if you don’t like the look of whoever is outside – don’t open up.
Make sure that the door viewer that you fit has a cover on the inside. This stops a burglar peeping in to check out if there is anyone at home.
Other things you can do to increase your apartment security.
Always, but always, lock your door when you go out of your apartment. Do this even if you are just going to the convenience store, to the laundry room or even just going along the hall.
You only need to slip out of your apartment for a 'moment' and an opportunistic thief can slip in, steal what he takes a fancy to and slip out again. Get into the good security habit of always locking your door.
apartment security
Apartment Security Apartment or condominium life can be enjoyable and rewarding, and safe too if you take some common sense measures for your security.
If your apartment is on the ground floor, or your windows are in any way accessible to a thief, close them and lock them whenever you go out.
Avoid writing your full name on the entry-phone nameplate, it gives criminals more information than you want them to know. Just give your last name or your last name and initial. If you live on your own, and feel particularly vulnerable, you may want to be a little deceptive. Instead of J. Smith write Mr. and Mrs. Smith or J. and P. Smith.
If you are going away remember to cancel your newspaper delivery. Ask a neighbor to pick up and hold your mail for you (those useful neighbors again.) Never let it be obvious that nobody is at home in your apartment, security is often a matter of old fashioned common sense.
If you are out of your apartment for long periods, at work, out on the town for the evening, or on a trip - use timers for your lights, radio and television. These can be set to give a wonderful impression of someone being at home. Timers are not at all expensive and are quite simple to set up and use.
Never, never, never buzz anyone that you are not expecting into the building. This is a very old trick in a very old book. Criminals will invent some very plausible reasons to try and persuade you to let them in.
"The Browns at apartment 36 have ordered a Hawaiian Special and they are not answering, could you do me the favor of letting me in?" Don't. "I'm from Acme repair and there was an urgent call from 25 would you please let me in?" Don't.
Advise them to buzz the superintendent. Call the police if you suspect that the person is buzzing each apartment in turn.
Do not hold the door open for a stranger when you are entering or leaving the building. That innocent looking stranger could be a master burglar, or worse.
The security of your apartment, and your personal safety and security as an apartment owner or renter is a joint responsibility. Yes, the building management should do everything possible to ensure your apartment security but you must play your part too.
Apartment or condominium life can be enjoyable and rewarding, and safe too if you take some common sense measures for your security. Here are a few more apartment security tips.
http://www.surveillanceforsecurity.com/apartment-security-tips.html
http://www.surveillanceforsecurity.com/apartment-security.html
Improve your apartment security and live safely.
When it comes to burglary and other in-the-home crime, those of us that live in apartments are perhaps slightly more at risk than those that live in houses. This is, to an extent, because your apartment security is not completely under your own control. Security for the building itself is mainly in the control of the management.
Some multi-occupancy building managers, or owners, treat protecting their tenants very seriously, others do not. If you feel that the security of your apartment building could be improved in some way you should not hesitate in pointing this out to the management.
If, in spite of your repeated efforts to get security improved, the management does not act you could look for another apartment complex where apartment security and the well being of occupants is given a higher priority.
Another reason why apartment owners, or renters, are at greater risk than house owners is because of the possibility of intruders wandering around casing the building. Even if you know every occupant, you would not know who was a visitor and who wasn't.
Entry-phone systems or manned security desks go a long way to reduce this problem, but some criminals are very inventive and find a way around such measures.
Neighbors - very effective for apartment security.
Probably the single most effective thing that you can do to improve your apartment's security is to join, and participate in, neighborhood watch.
Apartment buildings often have their own neighborhood watch groups; they are not just for streets or blocks. If your building does not have a watch - start one! Really, it's easy, it’s fun and it works. The first step is to inquire at your local police station; you will find them a tremendous help.
Neighbor looking out for neighbor is vital for security in an apartment complex. If all the occupants know each other then it is far easier to spot someone who should not be in the building.
If your neighbors know what times of the day you are out, or know when you are away on business or vacation, and they hear someone moving about inside your apartment they would know that something is likely amiss. If they don't know you or your habits and they heard noise from your apartment they probably would assume that it is you.
There are many other ways in which a neighborhood group can improve apartment security. Patrols can be organized to make regular tours of the building and parking lot. Report any suspicious persons to the police or to the management. Do not place yourselves in personal danger.
Apartment watch groups can publish a news bulletin that highlights local crime and scams that are being carried out in the area. The bulletin can also pass on tips for improving security.
Also, complaints to the management about shortfalls in apartment security carry more weight when made by a group of organized tenants, you can count on it. Suggestions made by the group for improving protection will also stand a greater chance of being listened to . . . and implemented.
Doors . . .
Before you move into your new apartment have the locks on all your doors re-keyed. If you have to shell out for this, so be it, it is not very costly and worth the added apartment security.
You should have a deadbolt lock on your front door. If you can organize it have an arrangement with the building management that they hold a copy of the key sealed in an envelope. This key is strictly for emergency use only, not for deliveries or the like. This is a more secure arrangement than a master key system.
Knock, knock! Do you know who is at your apartment door before you open it? Don’t rely on a door chain, which can be very easily forced. Install a through the door viewer, these little telescope devices let you see who is there and if you don’t like the look of whoever is outside – don’t open up.
Make sure that the door viewer that you fit has a cover on the inside. This stops a burglar peeping in to check out if there is anyone at home.
Other things you can do to increase your apartment security.
Always, but always, lock your door when you go out of your apartment. Do this even if you are just going to the convenience store, to the laundry room or even just going along the hall.
You only need to slip out of your apartment for a 'moment' and an opportunistic thief can slip in, steal what he takes a fancy to and slip out again. Get into the good security habit of always locking your door.
apartment security
Apartment Security Apartment or condominium life can be enjoyable and rewarding, and safe too if you take some common sense measures for your security.
If your apartment is on the ground floor, or your windows are in any way accessible to a thief, close them and lock them whenever you go out.
Avoid writing your full name on the entry-phone nameplate, it gives criminals more information than you want them to know. Just give your last name or your last name and initial. If you live on your own, and feel particularly vulnerable, you may want to be a little deceptive. Instead of J. Smith write Mr. and Mrs. Smith or J. and P. Smith.
If you are going away remember to cancel your newspaper delivery. Ask a neighbor to pick up and hold your mail for you (those useful neighbors again.) Never let it be obvious that nobody is at home in your apartment, security is often a matter of old fashioned common sense.
If you are out of your apartment for long periods, at work, out on the town for the evening, or on a trip - use timers for your lights, radio and television. These can be set to give a wonderful impression of someone being at home. Timers are not at all expensive and are quite simple to set up and use.
Never, never, never buzz anyone that you are not expecting into the building. This is a very old trick in a very old book. Criminals will invent some very plausible reasons to try and persuade you to let them in.
"The Browns at apartment 36 have ordered a Hawaiian Special and they are not answering, could you do me the favor of letting me in?" Don't. "I'm from Acme repair and there was an urgent call from 25 would you please let me in?" Don't.
Advise them to buzz the superintendent. Call the police if you suspect that the person is buzzing each apartment in turn.
Do not hold the door open for a stranger when you are entering or leaving the building. That innocent looking stranger could be a master burglar, or worse.
The security of your apartment, and your personal safety and security as an apartment owner or renter is a joint responsibility. Yes, the building management should do everything possible to ensure your apartment security but you must play your part too.
Apartment or condominium life can be enjoyable and rewarding, and safe too if you take some common sense measures for your security. Here are a few more apartment security tips.
http://www.surveillanceforsecurity.com/apartment-security-tips.html
Apartment, Condo and Other Multi-Tenant Housing Security
Apartment, Condo and Other Multi-Tenant Housing Security
by Ralph Witherspoon, CPP, CSC
http://www.security-expert.org/apartmentcondo.htm
The second most common crime threat to the average American (after auto theft) is to have his or her home burglarized and possessions stolen. Apartments, condominiums and other multi-tenant housing are frequently at greater risk than the single-family house, in part because renters must rely on their apartment/condo owners or managers to provide for much of their security. Also, in large complexes, the likelihood is greater that intruding criminals will blend in with the larger population and not be noticed while they scout properties or commit crimes.
Regardless of where the multi-tenant/family rental housing is located — city, suburb, small town, or county, there is always some degree of risk for break-ins or theft, and in many cases robbery or assault. Risks tend to be higher in urban and suburban areas than they are in rural or small town areas. With today's expressways, inner-city criminals often "commute" 10-20 miles to the suburbs to look for their victims.
Unfortunately, many apartment and condo builders have little or no knowledge about security. Since state or local codes usually do not require security, many builders ignore it, or provide only minimal measures. At the same time, the building owners and managers who do want to provide good security for their properties frequently have little training, and often only a minimal understanding of good security practices and procedures. The result is that many tenants become crime victims and many owners and managers are sued for having "negligent security."
Most burglars are young males who are seeking easy entry when no one is at home, and most are looking for a dwelling that contains, or is perceived to contain, easily portable valuables, such as cash, credit cards, jewelry, guns, computers and electronic devices. They are also looking for concealment and quick escape routes. In an estimated 25 percent of burglaries, entry is gained through an unlocked front, back, patio or garage door, or unlocked window. In the other 75 percent of home burglaries where doors and windows are locked, in half of those only minimal force is applied for less than 10 seconds to a locked door or window to gain entry. In other words, in two-thirds of all burglaries, entry is relatively quick and easy!
While most people fear break-ins at night, the vast majority of residential burglaries occur during the day when homes are usually unoccupied. Sometimes, however, both the burglar and resident are present at the same time. That can lead to assault, rape and even murder. So while residential burglaries are frequently considered to be only "property crimes," they have the potential to lead to injury and death. Any successful burglary or non-domestic assault in a rental or condo complex should alert management to immediately and comprehensively review its security measures. Also, auto break-ins or thefts on the property demonstrate the presence of criminals and criminal activity, and should be taken seriously in considering overall security.
Providing Physical Security
The first step in protecting multi-tenant property is to "harden" both the buildings and grounds as a whole, plus the individual housing units (apartments). If a criminal passing by or already on your property believes it to be too difficult or time-consuming to gain entry or too well lighted, or has too few concealment places or escape routes, he may well go to another property. That robber or burglar is probably going to victimize someone that day … the challenge is to not let the victim be you, your property, or your tenants!
Since most entries are made through doors, it only makes sense to have solid-core wood or metal entry doors, plus strong doorframes and locking devices. A door, however, is only as strong as its weakest component. I recommend a spring-lock latch, plus a dead-bolt lock with a 1-inch throw. Use a heavy-duty, four-screw strike plate secured into the doorframe stud with 3-inch screws. Owners and managers should be aware of local fire codes (and the safety of tenants) when considering installation of locks, gates and bars.
Locked lobby entrance doors actually provide little physical protection, because some residents will grant entry to almost anyone. However, locked lobby doors do provide at least a minimal physical and psychological barrier to intruders, plus some delay, and thus are deterrents to numberous criminals. Accordingly, they should be used where possible — just don't rely completely on them.
Ground-level housing units are especially at risk because of the ease of access to multiple points of attack. Bushes are often used by criminals to provide concealment while they are waiting for a victim, or trying to gain entry to a building or apartment. I recommend cutting bushes on the interior of the property to 18 inches above the ground or lower, and completely eliminating bushes and hedges close to basement or ground-level windows, or close to entry doors, including ground-level sliding patio doors. Sliding patio doors should be equipped with a "charley bar" plus a "through-the-door pin" to prevent lifting the door out of its track to gain entry (horizontal sliding windows can be equipped with a dowel to prevent opening, and vertical sliding windows should be equipped with a through-the-frame pin). Trees within 25 feet of any building should have their branches trimmed so that none hangs lower than eight feet above ground level, or closer than 10 feet to the building or its balconies. Eliminating potential hiding spots or obstructed lines of sight not only deters some criminals, but it also permits residents and legitimate visitors to observe and report suspicious persons or behavior, and to avoid danger themselves.
Implementing these basic physical security measures should significantly reduce (but won't necessarily eliminate) the risk of burglary for most multi-tenant buildings and units. However, individual properties or configurations may require different measures. Security is not a "cookie-cutter" process, and, if any questions arise, you should consult with a professional security consultant or expert.
Lighting
Since most criminals don't want to be seen committing their crime, or to be identified, many prefer to commit the crimes under the cover of darkness. As a result, appropriate lighting can be a relatively inexpensive security measure that, experience shows, will deter some criminals.
Apartment or condo surface parking lots and garages are locations where tenants and visitors are more easily accessible to robbers, rapists, carjackers, and thieves who often enter, srike, and then quickly flee. Such criminals are drawn to parking facilities and areas because of the presence of automobiles to steal or break into, and persons who can be attacked. Because of the crime potential at almost all parking lots; or especially if your parking lot/garage or facility has a history of crime, or there has been recent serious crime in the neighborhood, or your facility is perceived as an "upscale" property for the area, in other words — attractive to criminals, prudent security dictates that you review and possibly enhance security.
For surface parking lots, security and national lighting guidelines dictate that the lot be illuminated to a minimum of three foot-candles. Lighting should be turned on and off by timer, or preferably by photoelectric sensor to ensure that it is operating when needed. I recommend metal-halide lighting fixtures in these parking lots.
While local or state building codes may require a lower level of lighting, it is far better to design and install "safety and security" levels of lighting at the beginning, rather than wait until a resident or guest is injured or otherwise victimized.
In covered/enclosed parking garages, the threat to persons and property can be very high. Such locations are a frequent favored "hunting-ground" for robbers and rapists, who often find plenty of places to hide, and victims to attack. This is especially true if access to the garage is not strictly controlled. Isolated floors and locations can make effective surveillance or monitoring difficult at best. I recommend that the interior of covered/enclosed-parking garages be illuminated to a minimum uniform level of six foot-candles. Pedestrian entry and exit points, and any stairwells and elevator lobbies should have lighting levels at least double that. These levels of illumination should be maintained around the clock since sufficient daylight seldom penetrates deeply into a garage. The use of glossy white paint on the walls and ceilings can enhance reflected lighting and thus the ability to spot individuals or movements against the white background. Note: If the roof of a garage is used for parking and is open to the sky, the lighting recommended for the roof parking area is that shown above for open parking lots (three foot-candles minimum).
Exterior lighting around the property should enable residents to detect the presence of persons at 75-100 feet, and to identify individuals (facial features) and other dangers at a distance of 30 feet. Those distances will usually allow them to take defensive action or avoidance if necessary, while still at a safe distance. I recommend that sidewalks and footpaths around and between buildings, parking lots and garages (routes where pedestrians are funneled, and where security is almost always a consideration because of their open accessibility to non-residents and intruders) be illuminated to a minimum level of three foot-candles. Where senior citizens who are often sight-impaired are residents or frequent visitors, that lighting level should be increased for safety purposes.
Inside multi-tenant buildings, security lighting is often a problem. This is especially true in the "common areas" such as building entrances, corridors, hallways and stairs, which require sufficient lighting to enable recognition of faces to determine who belongs in those spaces and who does not, and who is perceived as safe and who may be perceived as posing a danger. For security purposes I recommend a minimum maintained illumination level of three foot-candles in those common areas. Mailrooms and other high-use gathering spaces such as laundry rooms, exercise rooms, and the like should be uniformly illuminated with a minimum of 10 foot-candles. Again, painting walls and ceilings in those common areas with a glossy white paint increases actual and perceived visibility.
Where the entry door to an individual family unit in a multi-tenant building opens directly to the outside of the building, identification of persons at that door becomes increasingly important, since that is the first line of defense against intruders. Illumination from both exterior sides of the entry door aids in facial recognition. If the lights are mounted in the ceiling or overhead, they should not be directly above or behind where an individual will be standing, as that may shadow the individual's face or features. I recommend that lighting for residential entry-doors be not less than 1-2 foot-candles measured both horizontally at ground level, and vertically five feet above the doorway threshold.
Residents can also use timers to turn lights on inside their home to give the appearance that someone is present. If drapes and blinds are pulled, especially in the living room and other ground floor rooms, and interior lights are on, many burglars won't take the risk, especially if a radio is also left playing to create the impression that someone is at home.
Gated Communities
Special care should be taken with walled or gated communities. Gates and fences provide a perception of privacy and security to the residents, and a deterrent to some criminals. But walls and gates can be climbed, and without a security officer screening individuals and vehicles seeking access, security is not significantly improved. Basic security measures such as described in the sections above still need to be implemented, especially those relating to outdoor and common areas.
When an electronic keypad rather than a trained security officer is used to control access, it will be only a few weeks before every pizza delivery person in town has the access code. And if they have it, burglars and other criminals won't be far behind in obtaining it.
Walls and gates do provide some security, but only if they control access to the property.
Security Officers
Many apartments and other multi-tenant properties utilize security officers, either their own employees or contract guard company officers. In recent years some property managers, believing they were reducing their potential legal liability, have started using what they call "courtesy officers." These are usually off-duty police to whom management provides free housing on the property in return for "assistance." Courts, however, tend to view these individuals for who they are — people performing security duties but called "courtesy officers" … and liability to the owners or management isn't reduced.
While many courtesy officers provide excellent service for their properties, others may actually increase liability. Law enforcement officers often have little control over their schedules and may be working days this month, and nights next month. Their presence on the property at any given time, or even on any given day, is not ensured. As a result, security coverage and any deterrence are reduced, and residents who think they are being protected are misled. If it is worth spending the money on security, in whatever form, it is worth doing it right!
Whether you use in–house or contract security officers:
* Be sure to run a comprehensive background check, including a criminal conviction check, on each officer, and retain the backup documentation. These individuals will, in many cases, literally "have the keys" to the property and in many cases access to tenants' units. Poor screening here can lead to potential legal damages for injuries or losses, as well as embarrassment and bad publicity for the property.
* Ensure that your guards receive not only basic security officer training (documented), but also training specific to your property and the functions they are to perform for you (this includes off-duty police who need to know your property and what duties you expect and require of them).
* Draw up specific "Post Orders" and make them part of any contract "by reference." They should specify exactly what duties the officer(s) should perform, and when, and how management wants the officers to handle any exceptions. They should also specify what reports are to be prepared, and when. At a minimum, the officers should prepare a detailed written activity report each shift, and separate written incident reports of any unusual occurrences. Reports should be kept for a minimum of three years.
* Don't accept sub-standard performance. Complain immediately to the contract guard provider if assigned guards are not doing what they should, when they should. Request a replacement if necessary. Remember, however, that most guard companies draw their employees from the same general labor pool, and if you insist on paying low rates (pay rates to the guards are generally about 60% of the billing rate to you) you will usually get what you pay for, regardless of which company you use.
* I recommend that you don't sign any contract that requires you to indemnify the guard company for their errors or mistakes. They should be responsible for any mistakes their employees make. If the company you are considering won't remove such a clause in their contract, try others.
* Keep records (at least three years) on security measures so that you can later show what you did, when, and why. If you do things right, records can only help you.
Conclusion
This overview is not intended to provide the reader with a complete security program for multi-tenant properties. Rather, it provides some basic security considerations derived from well-accepted security principles, which are a starting point for those interested in protecting themselves, their families, and their properties. For those owners and property managers "doing it themselves," be sure to check your local building and other codes for regulations, which may impact what you may or may not do in this area, and, as necessary, consult with your attorney. Another good idea — contact a professional security consultant for assistance.
Readers desiring additional information on these or related subjects should contact a qualified professional security consultant and/or their attorney.
Disclaimer:
This article is based on generally accepted security principles, and on data gathered from what are believed to be reliable sources. This article is written for general information purposes only and is not intended to be, and should not be used as, a primary source for making security decisions. Each situation is or can be unique. The author is not an attorney, is not engaged in the practice of law, and is not rendering legal advice. Readers requiring advice about specific security problems or concerns should consult directly with a security professional. The author of this article shall have no liability to any person or entity with respect to any loss, liability, or damage alleged to have been caused by the use or application of any information in this article, nor information contained on this or any linked or related web site.
by Ralph Witherspoon, CPP, CSC
http://www.security-expert.org/apartmentcondo.htm
The second most common crime threat to the average American (after auto theft) is to have his or her home burglarized and possessions stolen. Apartments, condominiums and other multi-tenant housing are frequently at greater risk than the single-family house, in part because renters must rely on their apartment/condo owners or managers to provide for much of their security. Also, in large complexes, the likelihood is greater that intruding criminals will blend in with the larger population and not be noticed while they scout properties or commit crimes.
Regardless of where the multi-tenant/family rental housing is located — city, suburb, small town, or county, there is always some degree of risk for break-ins or theft, and in many cases robbery or assault. Risks tend to be higher in urban and suburban areas than they are in rural or small town areas. With today's expressways, inner-city criminals often "commute" 10-20 miles to the suburbs to look for their victims.
Unfortunately, many apartment and condo builders have little or no knowledge about security. Since state or local codes usually do not require security, many builders ignore it, or provide only minimal measures. At the same time, the building owners and managers who do want to provide good security for their properties frequently have little training, and often only a minimal understanding of good security practices and procedures. The result is that many tenants become crime victims and many owners and managers are sued for having "negligent security."
Most burglars are young males who are seeking easy entry when no one is at home, and most are looking for a dwelling that contains, or is perceived to contain, easily portable valuables, such as cash, credit cards, jewelry, guns, computers and electronic devices. They are also looking for concealment and quick escape routes. In an estimated 25 percent of burglaries, entry is gained through an unlocked front, back, patio or garage door, or unlocked window. In the other 75 percent of home burglaries where doors and windows are locked, in half of those only minimal force is applied for less than 10 seconds to a locked door or window to gain entry. In other words, in two-thirds of all burglaries, entry is relatively quick and easy!
While most people fear break-ins at night, the vast majority of residential burglaries occur during the day when homes are usually unoccupied. Sometimes, however, both the burglar and resident are present at the same time. That can lead to assault, rape and even murder. So while residential burglaries are frequently considered to be only "property crimes," they have the potential to lead to injury and death. Any successful burglary or non-domestic assault in a rental or condo complex should alert management to immediately and comprehensively review its security measures. Also, auto break-ins or thefts on the property demonstrate the presence of criminals and criminal activity, and should be taken seriously in considering overall security.
Providing Physical Security
The first step in protecting multi-tenant property is to "harden" both the buildings and grounds as a whole, plus the individual housing units (apartments). If a criminal passing by or already on your property believes it to be too difficult or time-consuming to gain entry or too well lighted, or has too few concealment places or escape routes, he may well go to another property. That robber or burglar is probably going to victimize someone that day … the challenge is to not let the victim be you, your property, or your tenants!
Since most entries are made through doors, it only makes sense to have solid-core wood or metal entry doors, plus strong doorframes and locking devices. A door, however, is only as strong as its weakest component. I recommend a spring-lock latch, plus a dead-bolt lock with a 1-inch throw. Use a heavy-duty, four-screw strike plate secured into the doorframe stud with 3-inch screws. Owners and managers should be aware of local fire codes (and the safety of tenants) when considering installation of locks, gates and bars.
Locked lobby entrance doors actually provide little physical protection, because some residents will grant entry to almost anyone. However, locked lobby doors do provide at least a minimal physical and psychological barrier to intruders, plus some delay, and thus are deterrents to numberous criminals. Accordingly, they should be used where possible — just don't rely completely on them.
Ground-level housing units are especially at risk because of the ease of access to multiple points of attack. Bushes are often used by criminals to provide concealment while they are waiting for a victim, or trying to gain entry to a building or apartment. I recommend cutting bushes on the interior of the property to 18 inches above the ground or lower, and completely eliminating bushes and hedges close to basement or ground-level windows, or close to entry doors, including ground-level sliding patio doors. Sliding patio doors should be equipped with a "charley bar" plus a "through-the-door pin" to prevent lifting the door out of its track to gain entry (horizontal sliding windows can be equipped with a dowel to prevent opening, and vertical sliding windows should be equipped with a through-the-frame pin). Trees within 25 feet of any building should have their branches trimmed so that none hangs lower than eight feet above ground level, or closer than 10 feet to the building or its balconies. Eliminating potential hiding spots or obstructed lines of sight not only deters some criminals, but it also permits residents and legitimate visitors to observe and report suspicious persons or behavior, and to avoid danger themselves.
Implementing these basic physical security measures should significantly reduce (but won't necessarily eliminate) the risk of burglary for most multi-tenant buildings and units. However, individual properties or configurations may require different measures. Security is not a "cookie-cutter" process, and, if any questions arise, you should consult with a professional security consultant or expert.
Lighting
Since most criminals don't want to be seen committing their crime, or to be identified, many prefer to commit the crimes under the cover of darkness. As a result, appropriate lighting can be a relatively inexpensive security measure that, experience shows, will deter some criminals.
Apartment or condo surface parking lots and garages are locations where tenants and visitors are more easily accessible to robbers, rapists, carjackers, and thieves who often enter, srike, and then quickly flee. Such criminals are drawn to parking facilities and areas because of the presence of automobiles to steal or break into, and persons who can be attacked. Because of the crime potential at almost all parking lots; or especially if your parking lot/garage or facility has a history of crime, or there has been recent serious crime in the neighborhood, or your facility is perceived as an "upscale" property for the area, in other words — attractive to criminals, prudent security dictates that you review and possibly enhance security.
For surface parking lots, security and national lighting guidelines dictate that the lot be illuminated to a minimum of three foot-candles. Lighting should be turned on and off by timer, or preferably by photoelectric sensor to ensure that it is operating when needed. I recommend metal-halide lighting fixtures in these parking lots.
While local or state building codes may require a lower level of lighting, it is far better to design and install "safety and security" levels of lighting at the beginning, rather than wait until a resident or guest is injured or otherwise victimized.
In covered/enclosed parking garages, the threat to persons and property can be very high. Such locations are a frequent favored "hunting-ground" for robbers and rapists, who often find plenty of places to hide, and victims to attack. This is especially true if access to the garage is not strictly controlled. Isolated floors and locations can make effective surveillance or monitoring difficult at best. I recommend that the interior of covered/enclosed-parking garages be illuminated to a minimum uniform level of six foot-candles. Pedestrian entry and exit points, and any stairwells and elevator lobbies should have lighting levels at least double that. These levels of illumination should be maintained around the clock since sufficient daylight seldom penetrates deeply into a garage. The use of glossy white paint on the walls and ceilings can enhance reflected lighting and thus the ability to spot individuals or movements against the white background. Note: If the roof of a garage is used for parking and is open to the sky, the lighting recommended for the roof parking area is that shown above for open parking lots (three foot-candles minimum).
Exterior lighting around the property should enable residents to detect the presence of persons at 75-100 feet, and to identify individuals (facial features) and other dangers at a distance of 30 feet. Those distances will usually allow them to take defensive action or avoidance if necessary, while still at a safe distance. I recommend that sidewalks and footpaths around and between buildings, parking lots and garages (routes where pedestrians are funneled, and where security is almost always a consideration because of their open accessibility to non-residents and intruders) be illuminated to a minimum level of three foot-candles. Where senior citizens who are often sight-impaired are residents or frequent visitors, that lighting level should be increased for safety purposes.
Inside multi-tenant buildings, security lighting is often a problem. This is especially true in the "common areas" such as building entrances, corridors, hallways and stairs, which require sufficient lighting to enable recognition of faces to determine who belongs in those spaces and who does not, and who is perceived as safe and who may be perceived as posing a danger. For security purposes I recommend a minimum maintained illumination level of three foot-candles in those common areas. Mailrooms and other high-use gathering spaces such as laundry rooms, exercise rooms, and the like should be uniformly illuminated with a minimum of 10 foot-candles. Again, painting walls and ceilings in those common areas with a glossy white paint increases actual and perceived visibility.
Where the entry door to an individual family unit in a multi-tenant building opens directly to the outside of the building, identification of persons at that door becomes increasingly important, since that is the first line of defense against intruders. Illumination from both exterior sides of the entry door aids in facial recognition. If the lights are mounted in the ceiling or overhead, they should not be directly above or behind where an individual will be standing, as that may shadow the individual's face or features. I recommend that lighting for residential entry-doors be not less than 1-2 foot-candles measured both horizontally at ground level, and vertically five feet above the doorway threshold.
Residents can also use timers to turn lights on inside their home to give the appearance that someone is present. If drapes and blinds are pulled, especially in the living room and other ground floor rooms, and interior lights are on, many burglars won't take the risk, especially if a radio is also left playing to create the impression that someone is at home.
Gated Communities
Special care should be taken with walled or gated communities. Gates and fences provide a perception of privacy and security to the residents, and a deterrent to some criminals. But walls and gates can be climbed, and without a security officer screening individuals and vehicles seeking access, security is not significantly improved. Basic security measures such as described in the sections above still need to be implemented, especially those relating to outdoor and common areas.
When an electronic keypad rather than a trained security officer is used to control access, it will be only a few weeks before every pizza delivery person in town has the access code. And if they have it, burglars and other criminals won't be far behind in obtaining it.
Walls and gates do provide some security, but only if they control access to the property.
Security Officers
Many apartments and other multi-tenant properties utilize security officers, either their own employees or contract guard company officers. In recent years some property managers, believing they were reducing their potential legal liability, have started using what they call "courtesy officers." These are usually off-duty police to whom management provides free housing on the property in return for "assistance." Courts, however, tend to view these individuals for who they are — people performing security duties but called "courtesy officers" … and liability to the owners or management isn't reduced.
While many courtesy officers provide excellent service for their properties, others may actually increase liability. Law enforcement officers often have little control over their schedules and may be working days this month, and nights next month. Their presence on the property at any given time, or even on any given day, is not ensured. As a result, security coverage and any deterrence are reduced, and residents who think they are being protected are misled. If it is worth spending the money on security, in whatever form, it is worth doing it right!
Whether you use in–house or contract security officers:
* Be sure to run a comprehensive background check, including a criminal conviction check, on each officer, and retain the backup documentation. These individuals will, in many cases, literally "have the keys" to the property and in many cases access to tenants' units. Poor screening here can lead to potential legal damages for injuries or losses, as well as embarrassment and bad publicity for the property.
* Ensure that your guards receive not only basic security officer training (documented), but also training specific to your property and the functions they are to perform for you (this includes off-duty police who need to know your property and what duties you expect and require of them).
* Draw up specific "Post Orders" and make them part of any contract "by reference." They should specify exactly what duties the officer(s) should perform, and when, and how management wants the officers to handle any exceptions. They should also specify what reports are to be prepared, and when. At a minimum, the officers should prepare a detailed written activity report each shift, and separate written incident reports of any unusual occurrences. Reports should be kept for a minimum of three years.
* Don't accept sub-standard performance. Complain immediately to the contract guard provider if assigned guards are not doing what they should, when they should. Request a replacement if necessary. Remember, however, that most guard companies draw their employees from the same general labor pool, and if you insist on paying low rates (pay rates to the guards are generally about 60% of the billing rate to you) you will usually get what you pay for, regardless of which company you use.
* I recommend that you don't sign any contract that requires you to indemnify the guard company for their errors or mistakes. They should be responsible for any mistakes their employees make. If the company you are considering won't remove such a clause in their contract, try others.
* Keep records (at least three years) on security measures so that you can later show what you did, when, and why. If you do things right, records can only help you.
Conclusion
This overview is not intended to provide the reader with a complete security program for multi-tenant properties. Rather, it provides some basic security considerations derived from well-accepted security principles, which are a starting point for those interested in protecting themselves, their families, and their properties. For those owners and property managers "doing it themselves," be sure to check your local building and other codes for regulations, which may impact what you may or may not do in this area, and, as necessary, consult with your attorney. Another good idea — contact a professional security consultant for assistance.
Readers desiring additional information on these or related subjects should contact a qualified professional security consultant and/or their attorney.
Disclaimer:
This article is based on generally accepted security principles, and on data gathered from what are believed to be reliable sources. This article is written for general information purposes only and is not intended to be, and should not be used as, a primary source for making security decisions. Each situation is or can be unique. The author is not an attorney, is not engaged in the practice of law, and is not rendering legal advice. Readers requiring advice about specific security problems or concerns should consult directly with a security professional. The author of this article shall have no liability to any person or entity with respect to any loss, liability, or damage alleged to have been caused by the use or application of any information in this article, nor information contained on this or any linked or related web site.
Apartment Crime Safety Quiz How Safe Is Your Apartment From Criminals?
Apartment Crime Safety Quiz
How Safe Is Your Apartment From Criminals?
By Charles Montaldo, About.com
http://crime.about.com/od/quiz/a/aptquiz.htm
Even in the most desirable apartment buildings, security is a concern. Often crimes are committed in apartment buildings by those who have access to it such as other tenants, maintenance people, and friends of tenants. Criminals look for vulnerability like an opened window or someone who leaves their door unlocked on a regular basis.
Taking this short quiz can help you determine if you are doing all that you can to make your apartment safe or if there are other prevention measures that you may not have considered.
Click on the link below to begin the test. At the end of the quiz you will be given a score, which is completely confidential and can only be seen by you.
Start the Quiz
http://crime.about.com/library/blaptsafety.htm
How Safe Is Your Apartment From Criminals?
By Charles Montaldo, About.com
http://crime.about.com/od/quiz/a/aptquiz.htm
Even in the most desirable apartment buildings, security is a concern. Often crimes are committed in apartment buildings by those who have access to it such as other tenants, maintenance people, and friends of tenants. Criminals look for vulnerability like an opened window or someone who leaves their door unlocked on a regular basis.
Taking this short quiz can help you determine if you are doing all that you can to make your apartment safe or if there are other prevention measures that you may not have considered.
Click on the link below to begin the test. At the end of the quiz you will be given a score, which is completely confidential and can only be seen by you.
Start the Quiz
http://crime.about.com/library/blaptsafety.htm
Apartment Security Premises Liability Nightmare
Apartment Security
Premises Liability Nightmare
by Chris E McGoey, CPP, CSP, CAM
http://www.crimedoctor.com/apartmen2.htm
Premises Security Liability
Landlords and property managers have become the target of what appears to be a legal trend called premises security liability. Premises liability is a civil action where a plaintiff will attempt to hold a landlord or property manager liable for money damages for injuries inflicted during a violent criminal attack committed on their rental property. The damages sought can be for both physical and psychological injuries suffered following an attack. The allegation is usually that the landlord contributed to the plaintiff’s injury because of a failure to provide adequate security on the property. In recent years, insurance industry statistics have shown that the highest premises liability jury awards have been for sexual assaults and deaths on apartment properties.
High Profile
The word of multi-million dollar jury verdicts against landlords has been spread by the media and in legal trade journals. This negative coverage has created a rush of new lawsuits around the country against landlords and property managers. The litigation rush has become so widespread that both plaintiff and defense bars now hold regular seminars for this area of law practice. The Association of Trial Lawyers of America meets annually to offer training programs on how to successfully sue an apartment landlord for premises liability.
To prevail on an inadequate security claim, the plaintiff must prove that the landlord breached their duty of care by failing to provide reasonable security measures, under the circumstances. Typically this is done, for example, by demonstrating that door or window locks were defective and not repaired or lights were not functioning for weeks prior to plaintiff’s assault. The focus could also involve an employee of the landlord. The negligence allegation may focus on the methods used for hiring, training, and supervising the apartment manager, the leasing consultants, the maintenance personnel, or the security officers.
Until you have been sued for over a million dollars in a protracted litigation, you may wonder what all the concern is about. More than one, litigation-free, landlord has told me, that’s why I have insurance when describing their indifference to being sued. They just don’t believe that taking proactive steps will make any difference in their tolerance to be sued or ability to defend should they be sued. They just don’t understand the problem.
Punitive Damages
One big problem, not often considered, is the possibility of being sued for punitive damages. Punitive damage awards are designed to punish a landlord or property manager, not merely compensate the plaintiff for their injuries. Punitive damages are awarded when the jury believes a landlord or property manager acted with malice or with a conscious disregard for the safety of the plaintiff, prior to being injured. An extreme example might be when a landlord knowingly hired a maintenance man, just paroled from prison for child molestation, and provided him with a uniform, free apartment, and access to a property filled with children. Punitive damages are not usually covered by liability insurance and therefore are expected to be paid out of the personal assets of the person being sued.
Business Records Exposed
A frustrating litigation problem arises when your property is viewed under a judicial microscope, in a very public forum such as a trial. A landlord or property manager must answer detailed questions about their private financial statements, business holdings, and methods of operation. Even your most confidential business records and damaging in-house reports must be produced, if so ordered by the court. I know landlords who have spent hundreds of hours researching records in preparation for trial. I’ve seen management offices literally turned upside down looking for documents and attempting to organize five-years of files that had never been organized before. Worst of all, after the trial is over, these records may be passed on to other plaintiff lawyer during the course of a subsequent lawsuit.
Manager Under Fire
In high exposure litigation, it in not unusual for management employees and staff to become involved as percipient witnesses. I’ve also heard many resident managers say that they felt like a gun was to their head during their testimony. They feared repercussion, if they didn’t respond correctly or in a manner consistent with others. Careers have been ended or altered because of the outcome of an intense litigation. The process has a way of bringing out the worst flaws in property management because of the focus on the negative issues and imperfect decision making. These newly discovered flaws have been the basis for job demotions and terminations. Sometimes, when the focus is on the qualifications or credibility of a resident manager, the plaintiff hires a private investigator to examine the background of that employee. Too often, these investigations have turned up fraudulent backgrounds, criminal convictions, and even current arrest warrants.
Obviously, the best way to avoid the whole process is to operate your property as if you could be sued at any moment. My 10-Step Apartment Security Plan addresses this issue and is designed to make any multifamily housing property better prepared for that moment.
Premises Liability Nightmare
by Chris E McGoey, CPP, CSP, CAM
http://www.crimedoctor.com/apartmen2.htm
Premises Security Liability
Landlords and property managers have become the target of what appears to be a legal trend called premises security liability. Premises liability is a civil action where a plaintiff will attempt to hold a landlord or property manager liable for money damages for injuries inflicted during a violent criminal attack committed on their rental property. The damages sought can be for both physical and psychological injuries suffered following an attack. The allegation is usually that the landlord contributed to the plaintiff’s injury because of a failure to provide adequate security on the property. In recent years, insurance industry statistics have shown that the highest premises liability jury awards have been for sexual assaults and deaths on apartment properties.
High Profile
The word of multi-million dollar jury verdicts against landlords has been spread by the media and in legal trade journals. This negative coverage has created a rush of new lawsuits around the country against landlords and property managers. The litigation rush has become so widespread that both plaintiff and defense bars now hold regular seminars for this area of law practice. The Association of Trial Lawyers of America meets annually to offer training programs on how to successfully sue an apartment landlord for premises liability.
To prevail on an inadequate security claim, the plaintiff must prove that the landlord breached their duty of care by failing to provide reasonable security measures, under the circumstances. Typically this is done, for example, by demonstrating that door or window locks were defective and not repaired or lights were not functioning for weeks prior to plaintiff’s assault. The focus could also involve an employee of the landlord. The negligence allegation may focus on the methods used for hiring, training, and supervising the apartment manager, the leasing consultants, the maintenance personnel, or the security officers.
Until you have been sued for over a million dollars in a protracted litigation, you may wonder what all the concern is about. More than one, litigation-free, landlord has told me, that’s why I have insurance when describing their indifference to being sued. They just don’t believe that taking proactive steps will make any difference in their tolerance to be sued or ability to defend should they be sued. They just don’t understand the problem.
Punitive Damages
One big problem, not often considered, is the possibility of being sued for punitive damages. Punitive damage awards are designed to punish a landlord or property manager, not merely compensate the plaintiff for their injuries. Punitive damages are awarded when the jury believes a landlord or property manager acted with malice or with a conscious disregard for the safety of the plaintiff, prior to being injured. An extreme example might be when a landlord knowingly hired a maintenance man, just paroled from prison for child molestation, and provided him with a uniform, free apartment, and access to a property filled with children. Punitive damages are not usually covered by liability insurance and therefore are expected to be paid out of the personal assets of the person being sued.
Business Records Exposed
A frustrating litigation problem arises when your property is viewed under a judicial microscope, in a very public forum such as a trial. A landlord or property manager must answer detailed questions about their private financial statements, business holdings, and methods of operation. Even your most confidential business records and damaging in-house reports must be produced, if so ordered by the court. I know landlords who have spent hundreds of hours researching records in preparation for trial. I’ve seen management offices literally turned upside down looking for documents and attempting to organize five-years of files that had never been organized before. Worst of all, after the trial is over, these records may be passed on to other plaintiff lawyer during the course of a subsequent lawsuit.
Manager Under Fire
In high exposure litigation, it in not unusual for management employees and staff to become involved as percipient witnesses. I’ve also heard many resident managers say that they felt like a gun was to their head during their testimony. They feared repercussion, if they didn’t respond correctly or in a manner consistent with others. Careers have been ended or altered because of the outcome of an intense litigation. The process has a way of bringing out the worst flaws in property management because of the focus on the negative issues and imperfect decision making. These newly discovered flaws have been the basis for job demotions and terminations. Sometimes, when the focus is on the qualifications or credibility of a resident manager, the plaintiff hires a private investigator to examine the background of that employee. Too often, these investigations have turned up fraudulent backgrounds, criminal convictions, and even current arrest warrants.
Obviously, the best way to avoid the whole process is to operate your property as if you could be sued at any moment. My 10-Step Apartment Security Plan addresses this issue and is designed to make any multifamily housing property better prepared for that moment.
Crime Free Multi-Housing Apartment Crime Prevention Program
Crime Free Multi-Housing
Apartment Crime Prevention Program
by Chris E McGoey, CPP, CSP, CAM
http://www.crimedoctor.com/crimefree1.htm
The Crime Free Multi-Housing Program is a state-of-the-art crime prevention program designed to reduce crime, drugs, and gang activity on apartment properties. This program was first successfully developed at the Mesa, Arizona Police Department in 1992. The International Crime Free Programs have since spread to nearly 2,000 cities in 44 US states, 5 Canadian Provinces, Mexico, england, Finland, Japan, Russia, Malaysia, Nigeria, Afganistan, and Puerto Rico. Australia has also expressed interest in adopting the Crime Free Programs in the future. The association holds an annual training conference.
Three Certification Phases
The program consists of three phases that must be completed under the supervision of the local law enforcement agency. Property managers become individually certified after completing phase-one training. The property itself becomes certified upon successful completion of all three phases. The anticipated benefits are reduced police calls for service, a more stable resident base, and reduced exposure to civil liability.
The program begins with the training of police agency coordinators who will administer the program in their jurisdiction. Each Crime Free Multi-Housing Coordinator receives 24-hours of intensive training and becomes certified as an instructor of the program. The Crime Free Program Coordinators return to their cities and begin the provide training and certify apartment managers and properties in their community. Fully certified properties have reported reductions in police calls for service up to 70% over previous years. The heart and soul of the program is in the correct implementation and use of the Crime Free Lease Addendum.
Here is a brief outline of the program contents:
Phase I - Management Training (8-Hours) Taught by the Police
* Crime Prevention Theory
* CPTED Theory
* New Resident Screening
* Lease Agreement Issues
* Crime Free Lease Addendum
* Key Control and Master Key Use
* On-Going Security Management
* Monitoring Criminal Activity
* Gangs, Drugs, and Crime Prevention
* Legal Warnings & Evictions
* Working With the Police
* Community Awareness
Phase II - CPTED - Survey by the Police
* Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design Survey (CPTED)
* Minimum door, window, and lock standards compliance
* Minimum exterior lighting standards evaluation
* Key Control procedures evaluation
* Landscape maintenance standards compliance
Phase III - Community Awareness Training
* Annual crime prevention social taught by property management and police
* Community awareness and continuous participation is encouraged
Full certification permits the right to post the Crime Free program sign and advertise membership in the Crime Free Multi-Housing Program in the print media using the official logo.
Crime Free Program Annual Conferences
* 2005 Riverside, California
* 2006 Albuquerque, New Mexico
* 2007 Mesa, Arizona
* 2008 Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
Apartment Crime Prevention Program
by Chris E McGoey, CPP, CSP, CAM
http://www.crimedoctor.com/crimefree1.htm
The Crime Free Multi-Housing Program is a state-of-the-art crime prevention program designed to reduce crime, drugs, and gang activity on apartment properties. This program was first successfully developed at the Mesa, Arizona Police Department in 1992. The International Crime Free Programs have since spread to nearly 2,000 cities in 44 US states, 5 Canadian Provinces, Mexico, england, Finland, Japan, Russia, Malaysia, Nigeria, Afganistan, and Puerto Rico. Australia has also expressed interest in adopting the Crime Free Programs in the future. The association holds an annual training conference.
Three Certification Phases
The program consists of three phases that must be completed under the supervision of the local law enforcement agency. Property managers become individually certified after completing phase-one training. The property itself becomes certified upon successful completion of all three phases. The anticipated benefits are reduced police calls for service, a more stable resident base, and reduced exposure to civil liability.
The program begins with the training of police agency coordinators who will administer the program in their jurisdiction. Each Crime Free Multi-Housing Coordinator receives 24-hours of intensive training and becomes certified as an instructor of the program. The Crime Free Program Coordinators return to their cities and begin the provide training and certify apartment managers and properties in their community. Fully certified properties have reported reductions in police calls for service up to 70% over previous years. The heart and soul of the program is in the correct implementation and use of the Crime Free Lease Addendum.
Here is a brief outline of the program contents:
Phase I - Management Training (8-Hours) Taught by the Police
* Crime Prevention Theory
* CPTED Theory
* New Resident Screening
* Lease Agreement Issues
* Crime Free Lease Addendum
* Key Control and Master Key Use
* On-Going Security Management
* Monitoring Criminal Activity
* Gangs, Drugs, and Crime Prevention
* Legal Warnings & Evictions
* Working With the Police
* Community Awareness
Phase II - CPTED - Survey by the Police
* Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design Survey (CPTED)
* Minimum door, window, and lock standards compliance
* Minimum exterior lighting standards evaluation
* Key Control procedures evaluation
* Landscape maintenance standards compliance
Phase III - Community Awareness Training
* Annual crime prevention social taught by property management and police
* Community awareness and continuous participation is encouraged
Full certification permits the right to post the Crime Free program sign and advertise membership in the Crime Free Multi-Housing Program in the print media using the official logo.
Crime Free Program Annual Conferences
* 2005 Riverside, California
* 2006 Albuquerque, New Mexico
* 2007 Mesa, Arizona
* 2008 Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
Home Invasion Robbery Protect Your Family with a Security Plan
Home Invasion Robbery
Protect Your Family with a Security Plan
by Chris E McGoey, CPP, CSP, CAM
http://www.crimedoctor.com/homeinvasion.htm
Home Invasion
One of the more frightening and potentially dangerous crimes that can occur to a family is a home invasion robbery. A home invasion is when robbers force their way into an occupied home, apartment or hotel room to commit a robbery or other crimes. It is particularly frightening because it violates our private space and the one place that we think of as our sanctuary.
Home invasion is like the residential form of an automobile carjacking and it's on the rise. Like the crime of carjacking, most police agencies don’t track home invasions as a separate crime. Most police agencies and the FBI will statistically record the crime as a residential burglary or a robbery. Without the ability to track the specific crime of home invasion, little can be done to alert the public as to the frequency of occurrence in their community or devise a law enforcement plan of action to control it.
Criminal Profile
Residential burglars work mostly during the day and when a residence is more likely to be unoccupied. Most burglars work alone and tend to probe a neighborhood looking for the right residence and the right opportunity. Alarm signs and decals, bars on windows, strong locks and doors, big dogs, and alert neighbors can sometimes deter burglars. Also, burglars will avoid a confrontation and will usually flee when approached. Most burglaries do not result in violence unless the criminal is cornered and uses force to escape.
Home invasion robbers, in contrast, work more often at night and on weekends when homes are more likely to be occupied. The home invader will sometimes target the resident as well as the dwelling. The selection process may include a woman living alone, a wealthy senior citizen or a known drug dealer, for example. It is not unheard of for a robber to follow you home based on the value of the car you are driving or the jewelry you are wearing. Some home invaders might have been in your home before as a delivery person, installer or repair vendor. Home robbers rarely work alone and rely on an overwhelming physical confrontation to gain initial control and instill fear in you. The greatest violence usually occurs during the initial sixty seconds of the confrontation and home invaders often come prepared with handcuffs, rope, duct tape, and firearms. Some in-home robbers appear to enjoy the intimidation, domination, and violence and some even claim it’s a "rush."
Dangerous Trends
The act of committing a home invasion is escalating much like carjacking. The reason for the increase seems to follow a similar pattern. Much like automobiles, the traditional commercial targets for robbers like convenience stores and fast-food restaurants have hardened themselves against criminal attack and have reduced available cash. Technology has allowed commercial establishments to install affordable video surveillance systems, silent alarms, and other anti-crime deterrent devices. A residence, by comparison, is now a more attractive choice.
Home invaders know that they won't have to overcome alarm systems when the home is occupied or be worried about video cameras and silent alarms. Unlike robbing a retail store, home invaders expect privacy once inside your home and won’t have to deal with the police suddenly driving up or customers walking in. Once the offenders take control of a residence they can force the occupants to open safes, locate hidden valuables, supply keys to the family car, and PIN numbers to their ATM cards. Home invaders will try to increase their escape time by disabling the phones and sometimes will leave their victims bound or incapacitated. It is not unheard of for robbers to load up the victim’s car with valuables and drive away without anyone in the neighborhood taking notice.
Method of Operation
The most common point of attack is through the front door or garage. Sometimes the home invader will simply kick open the door and confront everyone inside. More common is when the home invaders knock on the door first or ring the bell. The home invader hopes that the occupant will simply open the door, without question, in response to their knock. Unfortunately, many people do just that.
Home invaders will sometimes use a ruse or impersonation to get you to open the door. They have been known to pretend to be delivering a package, flowers or lie about an accident like hitting your parked car. Once the door is opened for them, the home invaders will use an explosive amount of force and threats to gain control of the home and produce fear in the victims. Once the occupants are under control the robbers will begin to collect your valuables.
Some home robbers have been known to spend hours ransacking a residence while the homeowners are bound nearby watching in terror. Some robbers have been known to eat meals, watch TV, or even take a nap. A major fear is that the robbers might commit more violence like sexual assault or even murder. Some robbers have kidnapped and forced a victim to withdraw cash from their ATM machine or take them to their small business to rob it as well.
Prevention Steps
The same tactics used to prevent daytime burglaries will go a long way to preventing forced entry home robberies. If you can delay a home invader at the point of entry then you have a chance of deterring them or have time to call the police. A solid core door, strong locks with reinforced strike plates, and reinforced window devices will stop most forced entries. See my web page on Home Security Tips for more information. Some homeowners build safe rooms inside their home to allow them to retreat or escape the violence while giving them valuable time to call the police.
The weakest home security link is the home occupant who fails to lock doors or windows or who will open the door without question at the sound of a knock. The best defense against home invasion is education and planning. Parents should hold a family meeting to discuss how to answer the door when someone knocks. Another important topic is how to act should your home or family be invaded. Once you know how home robbers work, you can effectively prevent most occurrences. See also Home Invasion Family Survival Tips for more information.
Remember these important security steps:
* Install solid core doors, heavy duty locks, and window security devices
* Lock all doors, windows, and garages at all times
* Use four three-inch screws to secure heavy duty lock strike plates in the door frame
* Use the door peephole BEFORE opening the door
* Use your porch light to help you to see clearly outside
* Never rely on a chain-latch as a barrier to partially open the door
* Never open the door to strangers or solicitors
* Call the police if the stranger acts suspicious
* Alert your neighbors to suspicious solicitors
* Hold a family meeting to discuss home security plans
* Set the home perimeter alarm at night, if you have one
Protect Your Family with a Security Plan
by Chris E McGoey, CPP, CSP, CAM
http://www.crimedoctor.com/homeinvasion.htm
Home Invasion
One of the more frightening and potentially dangerous crimes that can occur to a family is a home invasion robbery. A home invasion is when robbers force their way into an occupied home, apartment or hotel room to commit a robbery or other crimes. It is particularly frightening because it violates our private space and the one place that we think of as our sanctuary.
Home invasion is like the residential form of an automobile carjacking and it's on the rise. Like the crime of carjacking, most police agencies don’t track home invasions as a separate crime. Most police agencies and the FBI will statistically record the crime as a residential burglary or a robbery. Without the ability to track the specific crime of home invasion, little can be done to alert the public as to the frequency of occurrence in their community or devise a law enforcement plan of action to control it.
Criminal Profile
Residential burglars work mostly during the day and when a residence is more likely to be unoccupied. Most burglars work alone and tend to probe a neighborhood looking for the right residence and the right opportunity. Alarm signs and decals, bars on windows, strong locks and doors, big dogs, and alert neighbors can sometimes deter burglars. Also, burglars will avoid a confrontation and will usually flee when approached. Most burglaries do not result in violence unless the criminal is cornered and uses force to escape.
Home invasion robbers, in contrast, work more often at night and on weekends when homes are more likely to be occupied. The home invader will sometimes target the resident as well as the dwelling. The selection process may include a woman living alone, a wealthy senior citizen or a known drug dealer, for example. It is not unheard of for a robber to follow you home based on the value of the car you are driving or the jewelry you are wearing. Some home invaders might have been in your home before as a delivery person, installer or repair vendor. Home robbers rarely work alone and rely on an overwhelming physical confrontation to gain initial control and instill fear in you. The greatest violence usually occurs during the initial sixty seconds of the confrontation and home invaders often come prepared with handcuffs, rope, duct tape, and firearms. Some in-home robbers appear to enjoy the intimidation, domination, and violence and some even claim it’s a "rush."
Dangerous Trends
The act of committing a home invasion is escalating much like carjacking. The reason for the increase seems to follow a similar pattern. Much like automobiles, the traditional commercial targets for robbers like convenience stores and fast-food restaurants have hardened themselves against criminal attack and have reduced available cash. Technology has allowed commercial establishments to install affordable video surveillance systems, silent alarms, and other anti-crime deterrent devices. A residence, by comparison, is now a more attractive choice.
Home invaders know that they won't have to overcome alarm systems when the home is occupied or be worried about video cameras and silent alarms. Unlike robbing a retail store, home invaders expect privacy once inside your home and won’t have to deal with the police suddenly driving up or customers walking in. Once the offenders take control of a residence they can force the occupants to open safes, locate hidden valuables, supply keys to the family car, and PIN numbers to their ATM cards. Home invaders will try to increase their escape time by disabling the phones and sometimes will leave their victims bound or incapacitated. It is not unheard of for robbers to load up the victim’s car with valuables and drive away without anyone in the neighborhood taking notice.
Method of Operation
The most common point of attack is through the front door or garage. Sometimes the home invader will simply kick open the door and confront everyone inside. More common is when the home invaders knock on the door first or ring the bell. The home invader hopes that the occupant will simply open the door, without question, in response to their knock. Unfortunately, many people do just that.
Home invaders will sometimes use a ruse or impersonation to get you to open the door. They have been known to pretend to be delivering a package, flowers or lie about an accident like hitting your parked car. Once the door is opened for them, the home invaders will use an explosive amount of force and threats to gain control of the home and produce fear in the victims. Once the occupants are under control the robbers will begin to collect your valuables.
Some home robbers have been known to spend hours ransacking a residence while the homeowners are bound nearby watching in terror. Some robbers have been known to eat meals, watch TV, or even take a nap. A major fear is that the robbers might commit more violence like sexual assault or even murder. Some robbers have kidnapped and forced a victim to withdraw cash from their ATM machine or take them to their small business to rob it as well.
Prevention Steps
The same tactics used to prevent daytime burglaries will go a long way to preventing forced entry home robberies. If you can delay a home invader at the point of entry then you have a chance of deterring them or have time to call the police. A solid core door, strong locks with reinforced strike plates, and reinforced window devices will stop most forced entries. See my web page on Home Security Tips for more information. Some homeowners build safe rooms inside their home to allow them to retreat or escape the violence while giving them valuable time to call the police.
The weakest home security link is the home occupant who fails to lock doors or windows or who will open the door without question at the sound of a knock. The best defense against home invasion is education and planning. Parents should hold a family meeting to discuss how to answer the door when someone knocks. Another important topic is how to act should your home or family be invaded. Once you know how home robbers work, you can effectively prevent most occurrences. See also Home Invasion Family Survival Tips for more information.
Remember these important security steps:
* Install solid core doors, heavy duty locks, and window security devices
* Lock all doors, windows, and garages at all times
* Use four three-inch screws to secure heavy duty lock strike plates in the door frame
* Use the door peephole BEFORE opening the door
* Use your porch light to help you to see clearly outside
* Never rely on a chain-latch as a barrier to partially open the door
* Never open the door to strangers or solicitors
* Call the police if the stranger acts suspicious
* Alert your neighbors to suspicious solicitors
* Hold a family meeting to discuss home security plans
* Set the home perimeter alarm at night, if you have one
Apartment Security Unauthorized Occupants
Apartment Security
Unauthorized Occupants
by Chris E McGoey, CPP, CSP, CAM
http://www.crimedoctor.com/apartmen9.htm
Rental housing crime studies have repeatedly shown that moderate to high-crime problems can usually be traced back to a small percentage of residents. Those causing the crime problems are often the acquaintances, ex-spouses, or boyfriends of a legal resident who decided to move in without your permission.
Resident Screening
The best way to head off this problem is to practice resident screening and enforce clearly defined and articulated community rules that are emphasized during the lease application process. The resident needs to know that their tenancy may be in jeopardy if they bring in an unauthorized (and unscreened) occupant. Proof of this method is well documented in apartment properties all over the country, as police calls for service seem to fluctuate proportionally as resident screening standards and rule enforcement vary following management changes.
Good resident screening involves checking credit, employment, rental history, and criminal background, if available. A good screening plan should call for all non-dependent occupants to be included on the lease and subject to the same resident qualifications. All children should be identified on the lease along with maximum occupancy limits. In this day and age, resident screening is more than just establishing the ability to pay rent. In my experience, properties that tend to have a higher percentage of unauthorized occupants have lowered their screening standards on credit, rental and employment history, and don’t do available criminal background checks. A policy of collecting double deposits or getting co-signers for an otherwise unqualified applicant is asking for trouble down the road and is unfair to the other residents.
Criminal Infiltration
When career criminals (usually males) cannot qualify to rent, they will try to infiltrate your property by secretly moving in with a legal resident. As you might expect, these undesirable occupants tend to attract other unsavory characters. The character of your property can change drastically, if left unchecked. The problem becomes acute when these unauthorized occupants are unemployed criminal types who hang out all day and all night and begin to ply their trade within your community. A symptom of this condition is people hanging out in the parking lot and high foot traffic in and out of a unit or group of units.
To fix serious illegal occupancy problems, sometimes you have to clean house and evict residents for non-compliance with your residency requirements. You need to re-emphasize your occupancy standards and then fairly but firmly enforce the rules. The Crime Free Multi-housing Program lease addendum is a good example of community rules that can be legally enforced. Eviction rates as high as sixty-percent have been necessary to regain control over seriously troubled properties. Although financially painful in the short term, landlords soon get paid back in increased net operating income. It is common to see a property return to profitability after a few months with 98% occupancy rates and a waiting list.
How to Spot Unauthorized Occupants
A fair question often asked is how do you identify an unauthorized occupant versus a short-term social guest? The answer is to know your residents. This may seem like an impossible task, especially when your community exceeds one hundred units. Your community rules should have a written procedure for notifying management when a social guest has an extended stay and to arrange for a parking space. To solve this identity crisis, property managers around the country have found creative ways to get to know their residents.
What follows are some ideas to help you identify and deal with unauthorized occupants:
* Establish written community rules for visiting social guests
* Add new occupants/roommates to the lease only if they pass screening
* Regularly audit units for unauthorized occupants (formally and informally)
* Photograph each resident for the lease file for ID purposes (helpful for unit lockouts)
* Assign coded parking spaces and record vehicle information (easy to spot new cars)
* Require parking permit decals on cars and motorcycles
* Require overnight guests to park in designated guest spaces only (get vehicle info)
* Train staff to be alert for illegal occupants, new vehicles, and new children
* Periodically, inspect units (smoke detectors, A/C filters, furnace ventilators, lock checks)
* Always follow up all verbal occupancy warnings with a letter
* Serve non-compliance notices for every rule violation. Be consistent
* Evict residents who violate community rules and house illegal occupants
* Be fair, firm, consistent, and document, document, document
Unauthorized Occupants
by Chris E McGoey, CPP, CSP, CAM
http://www.crimedoctor.com/apartmen9.htm
Rental housing crime studies have repeatedly shown that moderate to high-crime problems can usually be traced back to a small percentage of residents. Those causing the crime problems are often the acquaintances, ex-spouses, or boyfriends of a legal resident who decided to move in without your permission.
Resident Screening
The best way to head off this problem is to practice resident screening and enforce clearly defined and articulated community rules that are emphasized during the lease application process. The resident needs to know that their tenancy may be in jeopardy if they bring in an unauthorized (and unscreened) occupant. Proof of this method is well documented in apartment properties all over the country, as police calls for service seem to fluctuate proportionally as resident screening standards and rule enforcement vary following management changes.
Good resident screening involves checking credit, employment, rental history, and criminal background, if available. A good screening plan should call for all non-dependent occupants to be included on the lease and subject to the same resident qualifications. All children should be identified on the lease along with maximum occupancy limits. In this day and age, resident screening is more than just establishing the ability to pay rent. In my experience, properties that tend to have a higher percentage of unauthorized occupants have lowered their screening standards on credit, rental and employment history, and don’t do available criminal background checks. A policy of collecting double deposits or getting co-signers for an otherwise unqualified applicant is asking for trouble down the road and is unfair to the other residents.
Criminal Infiltration
When career criminals (usually males) cannot qualify to rent, they will try to infiltrate your property by secretly moving in with a legal resident. As you might expect, these undesirable occupants tend to attract other unsavory characters. The character of your property can change drastically, if left unchecked. The problem becomes acute when these unauthorized occupants are unemployed criminal types who hang out all day and all night and begin to ply their trade within your community. A symptom of this condition is people hanging out in the parking lot and high foot traffic in and out of a unit or group of units.
To fix serious illegal occupancy problems, sometimes you have to clean house and evict residents for non-compliance with your residency requirements. You need to re-emphasize your occupancy standards and then fairly but firmly enforce the rules. The Crime Free Multi-housing Program lease addendum is a good example of community rules that can be legally enforced. Eviction rates as high as sixty-percent have been necessary to regain control over seriously troubled properties. Although financially painful in the short term, landlords soon get paid back in increased net operating income. It is common to see a property return to profitability after a few months with 98% occupancy rates and a waiting list.
How to Spot Unauthorized Occupants
A fair question often asked is how do you identify an unauthorized occupant versus a short-term social guest? The answer is to know your residents. This may seem like an impossible task, especially when your community exceeds one hundred units. Your community rules should have a written procedure for notifying management when a social guest has an extended stay and to arrange for a parking space. To solve this identity crisis, property managers around the country have found creative ways to get to know their residents.
What follows are some ideas to help you identify and deal with unauthorized occupants:
* Establish written community rules for visiting social guests
* Add new occupants/roommates to the lease only if they pass screening
* Regularly audit units for unauthorized occupants (formally and informally)
* Photograph each resident for the lease file for ID purposes (helpful for unit lockouts)
* Assign coded parking spaces and record vehicle information (easy to spot new cars)
* Require parking permit decals on cars and motorcycles
* Require overnight guests to park in designated guest spaces only (get vehicle info)
* Train staff to be alert for illegal occupants, new vehicles, and new children
* Periodically, inspect units (smoke detectors, A/C filters, furnace ventilators, lock checks)
* Always follow up all verbal occupancy warnings with a letter
* Serve non-compliance notices for every rule violation. Be consistent
* Evict residents who violate community rules and house illegal occupants
* Be fair, firm, consistent, and document, document, document
Apartment Security Criminals Want Housing Too
Apartment Security
Criminals Want Housing Too
by Chris E McGoey, CPP, CSP, CAM
http://www.crimedoctor.com/apartmen7.htm
Rental housing crime studies have repeatedly shown that moderate to high-crime problems can usually be traced back to a small percentage of residents. Those causing the crime problems are often the acquaintances, ex-spouses, or boyfriends of a legal resident who decided to move in without your permission.
Resident Screening
The best way to head off this problem is to practice resident screening and enforce clearly defined and articulated community rules that are emphasized during the lease application process. The resident needs to know that their tenancy may be in jeopardy if they bring in an unauthorized (and unscreened) occupant. Proof of this method is well documented in apartment properties all over the country, as police calls for service seem to fluctuate proportionally as resident screening standards and rule enforcement vary following management changes.
Good resident screening involves proof of identity, proof of employment, credit check, rental history, and criminal background, if available. A good screening plan should call for all non-dependent occupants to be included on the lease and subject to the same resident qualifications. All children should be identified on the lease along with maximum occupancy limits.
In this day and age, resident screening is more than just establishing the ability to pay rent. In my experience, properties that tend to have a higher percentage of unauthorized occupants don't enfoce occupany rules and have lowered their screening standards on credit, rental and employment history, and don’t do available criminal background checks. A policy of collecting higher security deposits or getting co-signers for an otherwise unqualified applicant is asking for trouble down the road and is unfair to the other good residents.
Criminal Infiltration
When career criminals (usually males) cannot qualify to rent, they will try to infiltrate your property by secretly moving in with a legal resident. As you might expect, these undesirable occupants tend to attract other unsavory friends. The character of your property can change dramatically, if left unchecked. The problem becomes acute when these unauthorized occupants are unemployed criminal types who hang out all day and all night and begin to ply their trade within your community. A symptom of this condition is people hanging out drinking in the parking lot and creating high foot traffic in and out of a unit or group of units.
To fix serious illegal occupancy problems, sometimes you have to clean house and evict residents for non-compliance with your residency requirements or local rules. You need to re-emphasize your occupancy standards and then fairly, but firmly, enforce the rules. The Crime Free Multi-Housing Program lease addendum is a good example of community rules that can be legally enforced. Eviction rates as high as 60-percent have been necessary to regain control over seriously troubled properties. Although financially painful in the short term, landlords soon get paid back in increased net operating income. It is common to see a property return to profitability after a few months with 98-percent occupancy rates and a waiting list.
How to Spot Unauthorized Occupants
A fair question often asked is how do you identify an unauthorized occupant versus a short-term social guest? The answer is to "know your residents". This may seem like an impossible task, especially when your community exceeds one hundred units. Your community rules should have a written procedure for notifying management when a social guest has an extended stay and to arrange for a parking space. To solve this identity crisis, property managers around the country have found creative ways to get to know their residents.
What follows are some ideas to help you identify and deal with unauthorized occupants:
* Establish written community rules for visiting social guests
* Add new occupants/roommates to the lease only if they pass screening
* Regularly audit units for unauthorized occupants (formally and informally)
* Photograph each resident for the lease file for ID purposes (helpful for unit lockouts)
* Assign coded parking spaces and record vehicle information (easy to spot new cars)
* Require parking permit decals on cars and motorcycles
* Require overnight guests to park in designated guest spaces only (get vehicle info)
* Train staff to be alert for illegal occupants, new vehicles, and new children
* Periodically, inspect units (smoke detectors, A/C filters, furnace ventilators, lock checks)
* Always follow up all verbal occupancy warnings with a letter
* Serve non-compliance notices for every rule violation. Be consistent
* Evict residents who violate community rules and house illegal occupants
* Be fair, firm, consistent, and document, document, document
Criminals Want Housing Too
by Chris E McGoey, CPP, CSP, CAM
http://www.crimedoctor.com/apartmen7.htm
Rental housing crime studies have repeatedly shown that moderate to high-crime problems can usually be traced back to a small percentage of residents. Those causing the crime problems are often the acquaintances, ex-spouses, or boyfriends of a legal resident who decided to move in without your permission.
Resident Screening
The best way to head off this problem is to practice resident screening and enforce clearly defined and articulated community rules that are emphasized during the lease application process. The resident needs to know that their tenancy may be in jeopardy if they bring in an unauthorized (and unscreened) occupant. Proof of this method is well documented in apartment properties all over the country, as police calls for service seem to fluctuate proportionally as resident screening standards and rule enforcement vary following management changes.
Good resident screening involves proof of identity, proof of employment, credit check, rental history, and criminal background, if available. A good screening plan should call for all non-dependent occupants to be included on the lease and subject to the same resident qualifications. All children should be identified on the lease along with maximum occupancy limits.
In this day and age, resident screening is more than just establishing the ability to pay rent. In my experience, properties that tend to have a higher percentage of unauthorized occupants don't enfoce occupany rules and have lowered their screening standards on credit, rental and employment history, and don’t do available criminal background checks. A policy of collecting higher security deposits or getting co-signers for an otherwise unqualified applicant is asking for trouble down the road and is unfair to the other good residents.
Criminal Infiltration
When career criminals (usually males) cannot qualify to rent, they will try to infiltrate your property by secretly moving in with a legal resident. As you might expect, these undesirable occupants tend to attract other unsavory friends. The character of your property can change dramatically, if left unchecked. The problem becomes acute when these unauthorized occupants are unemployed criminal types who hang out all day and all night and begin to ply their trade within your community. A symptom of this condition is people hanging out drinking in the parking lot and creating high foot traffic in and out of a unit or group of units.
To fix serious illegal occupancy problems, sometimes you have to clean house and evict residents for non-compliance with your residency requirements or local rules. You need to re-emphasize your occupancy standards and then fairly, but firmly, enforce the rules. The Crime Free Multi-Housing Program lease addendum is a good example of community rules that can be legally enforced. Eviction rates as high as 60-percent have been necessary to regain control over seriously troubled properties. Although financially painful in the short term, landlords soon get paid back in increased net operating income. It is common to see a property return to profitability after a few months with 98-percent occupancy rates and a waiting list.
How to Spot Unauthorized Occupants
A fair question often asked is how do you identify an unauthorized occupant versus a short-term social guest? The answer is to "know your residents". This may seem like an impossible task, especially when your community exceeds one hundred units. Your community rules should have a written procedure for notifying management when a social guest has an extended stay and to arrange for a parking space. To solve this identity crisis, property managers around the country have found creative ways to get to know their residents.
What follows are some ideas to help you identify and deal with unauthorized occupants:
* Establish written community rules for visiting social guests
* Add new occupants/roommates to the lease only if they pass screening
* Regularly audit units for unauthorized occupants (formally and informally)
* Photograph each resident for the lease file for ID purposes (helpful for unit lockouts)
* Assign coded parking spaces and record vehicle information (easy to spot new cars)
* Require parking permit decals on cars and motorcycles
* Require overnight guests to park in designated guest spaces only (get vehicle info)
* Train staff to be alert for illegal occupants, new vehicles, and new children
* Periodically, inspect units (smoke detectors, A/C filters, furnace ventilators, lock checks)
* Always follow up all verbal occupancy warnings with a letter
* Serve non-compliance notices for every rule violation. Be consistent
* Evict residents who violate community rules and house illegal occupants
* Be fair, firm, consistent, and document, document, document
Crime Foreseeability Security Adequate...or Not?
Crime Foreseeability
Security Adequate...or Not?
by Chris E McGoey, CPP, CSP, CAM
http://www.crimedoctor.com/crime-foreseeability.htm
Contents
* Crime Foreseeability is a Statistical Concept
* Quantitative Analysis
* Qualitative Analysis
* Components of a Crime Foreseeability Evaluation
* Conditions
* Nature of Premises
* Crime Demographics
* Location
* Conditions
* Determining Levels of Crime Foreseeability
* Levels of Crime Foreseeability
* Low Crime Foreseeability
* Moderate Crime Foreseeability
* High Crime Foreseeability
* Variables in Crime Foreseeability
* Conclusion
* Endnotes
The concept of crime foreseeability has been the subject of great confusion for business operators around the country. For years they have been barraged with information of how businesses have been sued for millions of dollars because they failed to provide adequate security for their invitees. Because of this, most large companies who are open to the public, now incorporate a security plan into their operations manual. However, many companies have become frustrated in this regard because of the courts that have an ever-changing interpretation of the definition of crime foreseeability and legal duty.
How is a business to know what security measures will be deemed adequate should a violent crime occur? How is a business to know how to determine if assaultive crime is reasonably foreseeable? These questions, and others, will be discussed in this paper in an effort to relieve the frustration and reduce confusion in this complex area.
Part of the confusion lies in a lack of understanding of the criteria required to develop the data necessary to determine crime foreseeability. These criteria, when applied, will give the business operator the tools necessary to develop a security plan that has a fighting chance of being deemed reasonable and adequate later on in a court of law.
Crime Foreseeability is a Statistical Concept
For the purposes of this type of litigation, crime foreseeability can be described as a statistical concept. A statistical concept, in the broad sense used here, is an evaluation of potential, which relies on experience and interprets it using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Such an evaluation need not be based solely on numerical data and calculations, but it must employ a balancing process that weighs all relevant data in a prescribed manner. The purpose of this model is to present a framework in which relevant data can be recognized and assigned weight in a final evaluation. The emphasis is not on presenting a complete discussion of foreseeability in every situation but on developing a cohesive methodology, which, intelligently applied, will result in a sound assessment of whether crime in a particular situation is reasonably foreseeable.
First, a brief discussion of what is meant by quantitative and qualitative methods of evaluation in this context is in order. Quantitative evaluation involves the analysis of numerical data describing the crime history of a site and often the surrounding area. While extremely valuable in assessing high rates of foreseeability, this type of analysis can comment only on incidents that have been reported in the past. The weakness is that it can be insensitive to considerations such as changes in the use of a facility, new management, new construction, and rapid changes in the character of neighborhoods; it thus may not provide a completely reliable picture of the foreseeability of crime.
Quantitative Analysis
Quantitative analysis involves a decision making process for processing crime statistics. Criteria are established that limit the type of crimes to be evaluated, as well as the geographic area, class of assailants, and periods of time. A widely read paper, which has been put forth as a standard, states flatly that the proper method for assessing foreseeability is to research all stranger-to-stranger crimes, within a one mile radius of the crime site, within the last two years.
As attractive as such a method is for its simplicity, crime foreseeability cannot always be evaluated by uniform time and distance criteria. In an urban area, a one-mile radius would generally be too broad, losing the relevant data among useless statistics. One mile could extend past the boundaries of a city, county, or police-reporting zone, resulting in invalid data comparisons. Crimes committed eight blocks away from a site are of little use in relation to many premises, especially if major physical or psychological barriers exist, such as a freeway or railroad track between the two areas. Time periods suffer from the same decay factors. Neighborhoods and conditions can change drastically in less than a year. By the same token, static neighborhoods may reflect little change for five years or more. There is a danger inherent in the arbitrary determination of flexible parameters, and this is a problem to which quantitative analysis is especially vulnerable.
Qualitative Analysis
Qualitative evaluation essentially includes lifelong experience of land occupants, instinct, intuition, and physical observations of similar environments, which provide the basis for the ordinary estimates of a location's safety, that we routinely make. Among the considerations here are the physical attributes of a property and the reputation of the property and its surrounding area. Cold statistics cannot provide this information. Qualitative analysis is best conducted in person by a skilled security practitioner, who will survey the site and neighborhood and interview area inhabitants. This type of survey often provides clues to the type and amount of unreported crime and the level of fear regarding crime, as well as noting physical conditions at a site and surrounding areas. This type of evaluation best lends itself to the examination of a site from a criminal's point of view and enables one to realistically analyze the potential effects of various attributes of the site on the future behavior of criminals in the absence of a history of crime.
Components of a Crime Foreseeability Evaluation
There are three easily distinguishable components of a premises, called factors here, to consider when assessing crime foreseeability. Certain elements exist within these factors that may or may not contribute to foreseeable crime.
The three factors are (1) nature of the premises, (2) crime demographics, and (3) location.
If investigation of any one of these factors points to foreseeable crime, then it is impossible to escape the issue of foreseeability. However, to determine the level and type of crime foreseeability, all three factors must be considered. For example, assume that a popular nightclub catering to young people has a rear parking lot, where prior assaults have occurred. The elements associated with these three factors in this case serve to enhance rather than to diminish assaultive crime potential. In this example, it is probable that assaultive crime is foreseeable, and further investigation is thus warranted.
Conditions
Affecting the three factors are various conditions. Examples of conditions are lighting, frequency of security patrols, an unlocked door, and a large hole in a fence. A condition may only aggravate or mitigate the tendency of an factor element to increase or decrease crime foreseeability. These conditions cannot in themselves prove or preclude crime foreseeability, but only serve to affect the overall impact of a given element on the level of foreseeability. For example, overgrown shrubbery on the ground level is a condition that would not normally affect the foreseeability of a sexual assault inside of a third floor apartment unit. Litigants on both sides of a dispute frequently overestimate the potential persuasive force of their crime foreseeability arguments by allowing the entire case to hinge on one or more of these conditions without pursuing the complete analysis presented here.
The most effective approach to assessing foreseeability is to first consider the nature of the premises, then crime demographics, and lastly location.
What follows is a brief discussion regarding each of the three component factors in the order in which they should be considered and an examination of a few of the main elements associated with them. A more complete discussion of each component factor and its associated elements will follow in subsequent chapters.
Nature of Premises
It is essential to the evaluation of crime demographics to first have a complete understanding of the elements associated with the nature of the premises. The premises type and usage will impact the probative value of different crime classifications to be considered during the analysis. For example, property crimes inside a shopping mall are often excluded when evaluating the foreseeability of an abduction and rape in the parking structure.
The major elements involved in the nature of the premises factor are whether the premises is a business or a residence, the hours of operation, the extent that the premises is open to public, type of clientele, and type of service or product available. A business that remains open to the public twenty-four hours a day will have foreseeable crime types different from a limited hour operation that is semiprivate. For example, an apartment complex in a retirement community should usually anticipate fewer assaults than a apartment complex near a college campus simply due to the nature of its tenants and guests. Bars and nightclubs that provide alcoholic beverages and live entertainment and that cater to younger crowds can be expected to have more crime problems than a subdued establishment and older age group.
A judge went on the record to flatly state that in his opinion convenience stores and urban parking lots, by their nature, provide a special temptation to crime.(1) Following that logic, it seems reasonable to predict that certain types of crimes are foreseeable simply by the mere nature of a premises. For example, shopping malls and parking lots should expect auto-related crimes (e.g., auto burglary, vandalism, auto theft). Whether this criminal activity on site escalates to personal assaults is another issue. A twenty-four hour convenience store with a single clerk on duty should anticipate that robbery is foreseeable. Various conditions, discussed later, will help determine what level of foreseeability exists for robbery and other violent crimes.
Crime Demographics
Elements involved in evaluating previous crime are a determination of which crime classifications are relevant, the relevant radius around the incident, the proper time frame, the type and precision of data available, and an estimate of the proportion of crimes that are officially documented. The consideration of above criteria into an analysis is called crime demographics. It is a complete breakdown of statistics that is more precise and informative than raw, whole numbers. In certain cases where the other two factors, nature and location of premises, do not produce strong and compelling indicators, the absence of significant and relevant crime demographics can eliminate the possibility of a finding of crime foreseeability.
Location
The location of the premises is the factor that in of itself would give rise to the least substantial determination of crime foreseeability of the three. Also, its relative importance is generally subject to what has been found through investigation of the other two factors, and it is the most likely to be influenced by conditions.
The major elements within this factor are general location in the city, relationship to other businesses and residences, population density, economic demographics of the relevant area, and proximity to major traffic arteries. More specific elements include whether the incident location is on the ground floor or an upper floor, in a public common area or semiprivate area.
The concept of location as a major factor causes us to focus on the "where" issue in crime foreseeability. All crime types are not foreseeable everywhere. A rapist who gained access through a fourth floor exterior window of a high-rise apartment by using mountain climbing gear and superior skill would not be reasonably anticipated and therefore not normally foreseeable. However, a recently constructed 24-hour convenience store in the center of the highest crime zone in the city should anticipate a variety of property and personal crimes because of its location alone. Its level of crime foreseeability should be considered as potentially moderate to high from opening day. Its actual level and type of crime foreseeability will be modified later and affected by the actual nature of the business and its ability to control criminal activity though use of security techniques.
Conditions
Conditions can be broken down into two main categories, physical conditions and procedures. Physical conditions would include lighting, noise, hardware (e.g., fences, locks, alarms, video cameras), foliage, signage, visibility, and pedestrian and vehicle traffic flow. Procedural conditions would include cash handling policies, a schedule for locking certain doors and turning on lights, a key control system, and security guard patrol methods, as well as procedures for reporting incidents and repairing any problems.
Mere conditions, even if present in great numbers, cannot be used to determine crime foreseeability alone. Even though certain conditions may seem to have had much to do with the actual commission of a crime, this in itself does not address the issue of crime foreseeability. To avoid this problem, conditions should be considered not merely for their role in a particular crime, but for those attributes that affect crime foreseeability. For example, lighting may be on or off, brightly illuminated or dim, located effectively or not; door locking hardware may be locked or unlocked; and guard patrols may be scheduled only for six hour shifts on weekends.
Frequently in premises liability cases, a plaintiff will allege that the proximate cause of a client's assault and injuries was poor lighting or a lack of uniformed security patrol in a parking lot. Both lighting and frequency of security patrol issues are mere conditions, yet cases have been won and lost based solely on these issues. Surely there are thousands of parking lots, with similar lighting and no security patrols, which have operated safely for many years. Therefore, the effect of poor lighting and guard patrols alone cannot indicate that assaultive crime was foreseeable just because a single incident occurred. However, when one applies the above issues to a parking lot in a high crime location, whose adjacent business nature attracts young people to a site where crime demographics show a history of personal assaults involving young people, then conditions of inadequate lighting and infrequent security patrols aggravate the above factors and become relevant in supporting an allegation of inadequate security.
Determining Levels of Crime Foreseeability
Merely to say that crime is foreseeable on a particular premises is not enough. For property owners and business operators to function within the scope of their legal duty to protect their land entrants, they must know what crimes types are reasonably foreseeable, at what expected frequency, and what steps can be taken that will later be deemed adequate should a criminal incident occur.
Actual crime demographics can be expected to differ in frequency and crime type for each premises and location within a premises; it is therefore necessary to analyze the statistics to distinguish between them. The results of this analysis should enable a security expert to determine a relative level of crime foreseeability for each premises surveyed. The analysis should further identify what crime types are more foreseeable than others and in what specific locations within the premises is crime likely to occur.
Levels of Crime Foreseeability
The analysis of the three crime foreseeability factors should generate an opinion that will assign the potential for crime into one of four levels.
Crime potential will be (1) not foreseeable, (2) low, (3) moderate, or (4) high.
These levels of foreseeability must have elastic values to allow the business community and/or trier of fact (jury) to have a range in which to categorize their understanding of the information at hand. It is conceivable that a particular crime type could fall on the borderline between low and moderate or moderate and high.
The level of "not foreseeable," however, is not as flexible, by design. If a particular crime on a premises is believed to be not foreseeable by the court, to the extent that it finds that no reasonable jury could find otherwise, then the issue becomes a matter of law, not fact, and can be dismissed by the court in response to a motion for summary judgment.
The three remaining levels of foreseeability are designed to identify that amount of security that is required for the premises owner or operator to meet and discharge their legal duty of care. Precise values for each level are not used because of variables such as accuracy of data, uniqueness of the premises, and the fact that criminals cannot be counted on to act in a consistent manner. However, the assessment of risk and vulnerability has always been validated by human experience. Security experts trained in the litigation avoidance field have an advantage of having a basis of comparison from performing thousands of previous security surveys and crime demographic studies. Some experts will have libraries of previous studies and local crime statistics to aid in their analysis.
A respected author on risk analysis wrote:
"Several well-known authorities have concluded that order of magnitude expressions such as low, moderate and high to indicate relative degrees of risk are more than adequate for most risk control surveys. The use of the terms low, moderate and high equate roughly with probability ranges (on a scale of 1 to 10) of 1-3, 4-6, and 7-10, respectively."(2)
Another well-known national security consulting firm utilizes a super computer to analyze U.S. crime/census data and other public records and scores a site survey questionnaire completed by the premises operator. The information is developed into a crime index that is claimed to predict the crimes against persons (CAP) vulnerability at a given site relative to the predicted average criminal vulnerability of its environment. This crime index number is then plotted on a graph and compared against a three level range labeled as "L", "M", and "H", respectively. The authors of this program define the middle graph point as "M," denoting a predicted vulnerability equal to that of its environment. The upper graph point "H" indicates a predicted vulnerability five times greater than the local average, and the lower graph point "L" denotes a predicted vulnerability five times less than the environment average.(3)
These consultants and others realize that three separate levels of crime foreseeability are necessary to allow premises operators to gauge their security effectiveness relative to that of the outside environment and against commonly used security practices or industry guidelines. What has been missing historically from these evaluations is the impact of existing security measures on the external crime demographics. For example, a crime demographics survey of an apartment complex may indicate a moderate to high assaultive crime rate in the surrounding area. However, due to superior security measures in place, the actual crime history of the premises may be quite low by comparison.
What level of crime foreseeability does one assign? What level of security is required to meet the legal duty imposed by each level of foreseeability? These questions and more will be answered in the discussion that follows.
Low Crime Foreseeability
Low crime foreseeability is defined as a level such that after considering the nature, location, and crime demographics, a reasonable and thoughtful person would not anticipate assaultive crime while on the premises. This opinion would be supported by the absence of any previous assaultive crimes during the past several years; any crimes preceding that period would be too statistically remote in time.
Whole regions in a city can be considered low crime areas due primarily to their socioeconomic makeup and zoning. Moderate and high crime regions can have pockets of low crime areas, and even individual businesses can obtain a low crime foreseeability level by operating with effective security controls in place. As discussed earlier, certain premises could be assigned the level of low foreseeability prior to being open just by the nature and sometimes the location of the property.
A low crime foreseeability level has an upward limit that will be tested as assaultive crime occurs. If the quantitative and qualitative data still support a low probability of crime reoccurring, then current levels of security could still be deemed adequate. This data should be supported by an absence of fear of crime by the premises inhabitants and the presence of feelings of control over their environment. Most premises in the United States fall into the low crime foreseeability level, with the possible exception of certain sections
Moderate Crime Foreseeability
Moderate crime foreseeability is defined as a level such that after considering the nature, location, and crime demographics, a reasonable and thoughtful person would anticipate the possibility of assaultive crime while on the premises. This opinion should be supported by crime demographics on the site and surrounding area that indicate some previous assaultive crimes over the past several years but that do not fit any identifiable pattern or trend. The number of assaultive crimes is still too statistically uninformative to warrant any single radical response to prevent future occurrence. However, a moderate level of crime foreseeability should have originally generated a combination of security precautions to prevent future crimes of a similar nature or location from reoccurring. A moderate level of crime foreseeability should be evidenced by an average amount of awareness and fear of crime while on the premises. The reasonable person will take advantage of available security measures and will use common sense to limit exposure to potential danger.
It is possible for a premises to implement effective security precautions that will reduce exposure to the level of low crime foreseeability. Many urban premises are at this moderate level, and operators attempt to maintain security precautions to reduce crime to its lowest possible level. Unfortunately, the success of a sound security plan can backfire if one decides to cut back on security expense or fails to maintain the existing level of security precautions believing the problem to be solved. When this occurs, patrons and tenants sometimes become angered by the cutback in security and apparent disregard for their personal safety. In my experience, these victims make up the largest class of premises liability litigants.
High Crime Foreseeability
High crime foreseeability is defined as a level such that after considering the nature, location, and crime demographics, a reasonable person would actually anticipate that an assaultive crime might occur at any time. This opinion would be supported by crime demographics that showed a pattern of assaultive and other crimes on the premises and in the surrounding area continuously for several years. The prior number of assaultive crimes would statistically suggest a high probability of continued assaults if radical security precautions are not implemented, or if the nature of the premises remains unmodified. The physical premises usually show signs of vandalism, burglary attempts, and general disrepair. The neighborhood exhibits physical security precautions such as bars on the windows, alarm boxes, and perimeter fences. Inhabitants experience an elevated fear of crime, together with a feeling of losing control over their environment. The premises will typically have a bad reputation in the eyes of the surrounding neighbors and law enforcement personnel. The premises operator may feel that the costs of security precautions are not affordable and would have little effect on crime anyway.
A continuing level of high crime foreseeability is unacceptable in our society because it is against public policy to allow a dangerous condition to exist in premises accessed by the public for the benefit of the premises owner and operator. A business or residence in a high crime area can implement radical security precautions to control their incidence of assaultive crime. If successful, it is possible to reduce exposure to a moderate crime foreseeability level. However, the outside threat will continue, waiting for a break down in security. A premises owner may have no choice but to consider changing the nature of the business or relocating.
Variables in Crime Foreseeability
Often, premises liability litigation will focus on a specific location within a property and alleged inadequate security based on a design or mechanical defect in a security device. When this occurs, it becomes necessary to evaluate the crime foreseeability level for a specific factor such as a particular location, type of crime, or time of day. It is possible to have two or more different levels of crime foreseeability on the same property. For example, a convenience store in a moderate crime location during the day can increase its crime foreseeability level to high between the hours 10:00 PM and 2:00 AM when all surrounding businesses are closed and traffic counts are reduced; ground floor apartments in a building can have a high burglary history compared to a very low crime experience on upper floors, due primarily to accessibility.
Additionally, it would be difficult to reasonably foresee, for example: a rape inside a third floor apartment of a security building when adequate door and window locks were provided but not used; the possibility of a person firing an automatic weapon inside a convenience store at midday with several customers inside; or the accidental shooting of customer in the parking lot of a shopping mall by rival gangs who do not frequent the area.
Any premises liability evaluation must be prepared to specify a level of crime foreseeability for the site, the surrounding area, and in particular locations within the property. In addition, the evaluation should draw attention to the crime types to be anticipated. Once this is achieved, an analysis of existing security measures can be made. The question is not whether the crime at issue could have been prevented or not, but rather if the security precautions in place were adequate to prevent the type of crime that should have been reasonably anticipated.
Conclusion
Established criteria for determining a level of crime foreseeability must be utilized in order to provide a sound basis for your security plan. Otherwise, your security plan may be based on guesswork, uncertain predictions, and whim.
The criteria outlined here will allow for a complete analysis, which can be presented to a jury in an understandable fashion, and which should be viewed with a high degree of credibility. The results of your analysis will demonstrate that your security plan is based on a sound assessment, which can then be used to show that your security measures were designed to reasonable and adequate, under normal foreseeable circumstances.
Endnotes
1. Isaacs v. Huntington Memorial Hospital, 211 Cal.Rptr. 356 ( Cal. 1985), 364-5.
2. James F. Broder, Risk Analysis and the Security Survey (Boston: Butterworth Publishers, 1984), 32-33.
3. CAP Index Vulnerability Analysis. King of Prussia, Pa.: CAP Index, Inc.
Reprinted, with permission from, Security: Adequate...or Not? The Complete Guide to Premises Liability Litigation, Aegis Books, Inc., Copyright © 1990
Security Adequate...or Not?
by Chris E McGoey, CPP, CSP, CAM
http://www.crimedoctor.com/crime-foreseeability.htm
Contents
* Crime Foreseeability is a Statistical Concept
* Quantitative Analysis
* Qualitative Analysis
* Components of a Crime Foreseeability Evaluation
* Conditions
* Nature of Premises
* Crime Demographics
* Location
* Conditions
* Determining Levels of Crime Foreseeability
* Levels of Crime Foreseeability
* Low Crime Foreseeability
* Moderate Crime Foreseeability
* High Crime Foreseeability
* Variables in Crime Foreseeability
* Conclusion
* Endnotes
The concept of crime foreseeability has been the subject of great confusion for business operators around the country. For years they have been barraged with information of how businesses have been sued for millions of dollars because they failed to provide adequate security for their invitees. Because of this, most large companies who are open to the public, now incorporate a security plan into their operations manual. However, many companies have become frustrated in this regard because of the courts that have an ever-changing interpretation of the definition of crime foreseeability and legal duty.
How is a business to know what security measures will be deemed adequate should a violent crime occur? How is a business to know how to determine if assaultive crime is reasonably foreseeable? These questions, and others, will be discussed in this paper in an effort to relieve the frustration and reduce confusion in this complex area.
Part of the confusion lies in a lack of understanding of the criteria required to develop the data necessary to determine crime foreseeability. These criteria, when applied, will give the business operator the tools necessary to develop a security plan that has a fighting chance of being deemed reasonable and adequate later on in a court of law.
Crime Foreseeability is a Statistical Concept
For the purposes of this type of litigation, crime foreseeability can be described as a statistical concept. A statistical concept, in the broad sense used here, is an evaluation of potential, which relies on experience and interprets it using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Such an evaluation need not be based solely on numerical data and calculations, but it must employ a balancing process that weighs all relevant data in a prescribed manner. The purpose of this model is to present a framework in which relevant data can be recognized and assigned weight in a final evaluation. The emphasis is not on presenting a complete discussion of foreseeability in every situation but on developing a cohesive methodology, which, intelligently applied, will result in a sound assessment of whether crime in a particular situation is reasonably foreseeable.
First, a brief discussion of what is meant by quantitative and qualitative methods of evaluation in this context is in order. Quantitative evaluation involves the analysis of numerical data describing the crime history of a site and often the surrounding area. While extremely valuable in assessing high rates of foreseeability, this type of analysis can comment only on incidents that have been reported in the past. The weakness is that it can be insensitive to considerations such as changes in the use of a facility, new management, new construction, and rapid changes in the character of neighborhoods; it thus may not provide a completely reliable picture of the foreseeability of crime.
Quantitative Analysis
Quantitative analysis involves a decision making process for processing crime statistics. Criteria are established that limit the type of crimes to be evaluated, as well as the geographic area, class of assailants, and periods of time. A widely read paper, which has been put forth as a standard, states flatly that the proper method for assessing foreseeability is to research all stranger-to-stranger crimes, within a one mile radius of the crime site, within the last two years.
As attractive as such a method is for its simplicity, crime foreseeability cannot always be evaluated by uniform time and distance criteria. In an urban area, a one-mile radius would generally be too broad, losing the relevant data among useless statistics. One mile could extend past the boundaries of a city, county, or police-reporting zone, resulting in invalid data comparisons. Crimes committed eight blocks away from a site are of little use in relation to many premises, especially if major physical or psychological barriers exist, such as a freeway or railroad track between the two areas. Time periods suffer from the same decay factors. Neighborhoods and conditions can change drastically in less than a year. By the same token, static neighborhoods may reflect little change for five years or more. There is a danger inherent in the arbitrary determination of flexible parameters, and this is a problem to which quantitative analysis is especially vulnerable.
Qualitative Analysis
Qualitative evaluation essentially includes lifelong experience of land occupants, instinct, intuition, and physical observations of similar environments, which provide the basis for the ordinary estimates of a location's safety, that we routinely make. Among the considerations here are the physical attributes of a property and the reputation of the property and its surrounding area. Cold statistics cannot provide this information. Qualitative analysis is best conducted in person by a skilled security practitioner, who will survey the site and neighborhood and interview area inhabitants. This type of survey often provides clues to the type and amount of unreported crime and the level of fear regarding crime, as well as noting physical conditions at a site and surrounding areas. This type of evaluation best lends itself to the examination of a site from a criminal's point of view and enables one to realistically analyze the potential effects of various attributes of the site on the future behavior of criminals in the absence of a history of crime.
Components of a Crime Foreseeability Evaluation
There are three easily distinguishable components of a premises, called factors here, to consider when assessing crime foreseeability. Certain elements exist within these factors that may or may not contribute to foreseeable crime.
The three factors are (1) nature of the premises, (2) crime demographics, and (3) location.
If investigation of any one of these factors points to foreseeable crime, then it is impossible to escape the issue of foreseeability. However, to determine the level and type of crime foreseeability, all three factors must be considered. For example, assume that a popular nightclub catering to young people has a rear parking lot, where prior assaults have occurred. The elements associated with these three factors in this case serve to enhance rather than to diminish assaultive crime potential. In this example, it is probable that assaultive crime is foreseeable, and further investigation is thus warranted.
Conditions
Affecting the three factors are various conditions. Examples of conditions are lighting, frequency of security patrols, an unlocked door, and a large hole in a fence. A condition may only aggravate or mitigate the tendency of an factor element to increase or decrease crime foreseeability. These conditions cannot in themselves prove or preclude crime foreseeability, but only serve to affect the overall impact of a given element on the level of foreseeability. For example, overgrown shrubbery on the ground level is a condition that would not normally affect the foreseeability of a sexual assault inside of a third floor apartment unit. Litigants on both sides of a dispute frequently overestimate the potential persuasive force of their crime foreseeability arguments by allowing the entire case to hinge on one or more of these conditions without pursuing the complete analysis presented here.
The most effective approach to assessing foreseeability is to first consider the nature of the premises, then crime demographics, and lastly location.
What follows is a brief discussion regarding each of the three component factors in the order in which they should be considered and an examination of a few of the main elements associated with them. A more complete discussion of each component factor and its associated elements will follow in subsequent chapters.
Nature of Premises
It is essential to the evaluation of crime demographics to first have a complete understanding of the elements associated with the nature of the premises. The premises type and usage will impact the probative value of different crime classifications to be considered during the analysis. For example, property crimes inside a shopping mall are often excluded when evaluating the foreseeability of an abduction and rape in the parking structure.
The major elements involved in the nature of the premises factor are whether the premises is a business or a residence, the hours of operation, the extent that the premises is open to public, type of clientele, and type of service or product available. A business that remains open to the public twenty-four hours a day will have foreseeable crime types different from a limited hour operation that is semiprivate. For example, an apartment complex in a retirement community should usually anticipate fewer assaults than a apartment complex near a college campus simply due to the nature of its tenants and guests. Bars and nightclubs that provide alcoholic beverages and live entertainment and that cater to younger crowds can be expected to have more crime problems than a subdued establishment and older age group.
A judge went on the record to flatly state that in his opinion convenience stores and urban parking lots, by their nature, provide a special temptation to crime.(1) Following that logic, it seems reasonable to predict that certain types of crimes are foreseeable simply by the mere nature of a premises. For example, shopping malls and parking lots should expect auto-related crimes (e.g., auto burglary, vandalism, auto theft). Whether this criminal activity on site escalates to personal assaults is another issue. A twenty-four hour convenience store with a single clerk on duty should anticipate that robbery is foreseeable. Various conditions, discussed later, will help determine what level of foreseeability exists for robbery and other violent crimes.
Crime Demographics
Elements involved in evaluating previous crime are a determination of which crime classifications are relevant, the relevant radius around the incident, the proper time frame, the type and precision of data available, and an estimate of the proportion of crimes that are officially documented. The consideration of above criteria into an analysis is called crime demographics. It is a complete breakdown of statistics that is more precise and informative than raw, whole numbers. In certain cases where the other two factors, nature and location of premises, do not produce strong and compelling indicators, the absence of significant and relevant crime demographics can eliminate the possibility of a finding of crime foreseeability.
Location
The location of the premises is the factor that in of itself would give rise to the least substantial determination of crime foreseeability of the three. Also, its relative importance is generally subject to what has been found through investigation of the other two factors, and it is the most likely to be influenced by conditions.
The major elements within this factor are general location in the city, relationship to other businesses and residences, population density, economic demographics of the relevant area, and proximity to major traffic arteries. More specific elements include whether the incident location is on the ground floor or an upper floor, in a public common area or semiprivate area.
The concept of location as a major factor causes us to focus on the "where" issue in crime foreseeability. All crime types are not foreseeable everywhere. A rapist who gained access through a fourth floor exterior window of a high-rise apartment by using mountain climbing gear and superior skill would not be reasonably anticipated and therefore not normally foreseeable. However, a recently constructed 24-hour convenience store in the center of the highest crime zone in the city should anticipate a variety of property and personal crimes because of its location alone. Its level of crime foreseeability should be considered as potentially moderate to high from opening day. Its actual level and type of crime foreseeability will be modified later and affected by the actual nature of the business and its ability to control criminal activity though use of security techniques.
Conditions
Conditions can be broken down into two main categories, physical conditions and procedures. Physical conditions would include lighting, noise, hardware (e.g., fences, locks, alarms, video cameras), foliage, signage, visibility, and pedestrian and vehicle traffic flow. Procedural conditions would include cash handling policies, a schedule for locking certain doors and turning on lights, a key control system, and security guard patrol methods, as well as procedures for reporting incidents and repairing any problems.
Mere conditions, even if present in great numbers, cannot be used to determine crime foreseeability alone. Even though certain conditions may seem to have had much to do with the actual commission of a crime, this in itself does not address the issue of crime foreseeability. To avoid this problem, conditions should be considered not merely for their role in a particular crime, but for those attributes that affect crime foreseeability. For example, lighting may be on or off, brightly illuminated or dim, located effectively or not; door locking hardware may be locked or unlocked; and guard patrols may be scheduled only for six hour shifts on weekends.
Frequently in premises liability cases, a plaintiff will allege that the proximate cause of a client's assault and injuries was poor lighting or a lack of uniformed security patrol in a parking lot. Both lighting and frequency of security patrol issues are mere conditions, yet cases have been won and lost based solely on these issues. Surely there are thousands of parking lots, with similar lighting and no security patrols, which have operated safely for many years. Therefore, the effect of poor lighting and guard patrols alone cannot indicate that assaultive crime was foreseeable just because a single incident occurred. However, when one applies the above issues to a parking lot in a high crime location, whose adjacent business nature attracts young people to a site where crime demographics show a history of personal assaults involving young people, then conditions of inadequate lighting and infrequent security patrols aggravate the above factors and become relevant in supporting an allegation of inadequate security.
Determining Levels of Crime Foreseeability
Merely to say that crime is foreseeable on a particular premises is not enough. For property owners and business operators to function within the scope of their legal duty to protect their land entrants, they must know what crimes types are reasonably foreseeable, at what expected frequency, and what steps can be taken that will later be deemed adequate should a criminal incident occur.
Actual crime demographics can be expected to differ in frequency and crime type for each premises and location within a premises; it is therefore necessary to analyze the statistics to distinguish between them. The results of this analysis should enable a security expert to determine a relative level of crime foreseeability for each premises surveyed. The analysis should further identify what crime types are more foreseeable than others and in what specific locations within the premises is crime likely to occur.
Levels of Crime Foreseeability
The analysis of the three crime foreseeability factors should generate an opinion that will assign the potential for crime into one of four levels.
Crime potential will be (1) not foreseeable, (2) low, (3) moderate, or (4) high.
These levels of foreseeability must have elastic values to allow the business community and/or trier of fact (jury) to have a range in which to categorize their understanding of the information at hand. It is conceivable that a particular crime type could fall on the borderline between low and moderate or moderate and high.
The level of "not foreseeable," however, is not as flexible, by design. If a particular crime on a premises is believed to be not foreseeable by the court, to the extent that it finds that no reasonable jury could find otherwise, then the issue becomes a matter of law, not fact, and can be dismissed by the court in response to a motion for summary judgment.
The three remaining levels of foreseeability are designed to identify that amount of security that is required for the premises owner or operator to meet and discharge their legal duty of care. Precise values for each level are not used because of variables such as accuracy of data, uniqueness of the premises, and the fact that criminals cannot be counted on to act in a consistent manner. However, the assessment of risk and vulnerability has always been validated by human experience. Security experts trained in the litigation avoidance field have an advantage of having a basis of comparison from performing thousands of previous security surveys and crime demographic studies. Some experts will have libraries of previous studies and local crime statistics to aid in their analysis.
A respected author on risk analysis wrote:
"Several well-known authorities have concluded that order of magnitude expressions such as low, moderate and high to indicate relative degrees of risk are more than adequate for most risk control surveys. The use of the terms low, moderate and high equate roughly with probability ranges (on a scale of 1 to 10) of 1-3, 4-6, and 7-10, respectively."(2)
Another well-known national security consulting firm utilizes a super computer to analyze U.S. crime/census data and other public records and scores a site survey questionnaire completed by the premises operator. The information is developed into a crime index that is claimed to predict the crimes against persons (CAP) vulnerability at a given site relative to the predicted average criminal vulnerability of its environment. This crime index number is then plotted on a graph and compared against a three level range labeled as "L", "M", and "H", respectively. The authors of this program define the middle graph point as "M," denoting a predicted vulnerability equal to that of its environment. The upper graph point "H" indicates a predicted vulnerability five times greater than the local average, and the lower graph point "L" denotes a predicted vulnerability five times less than the environment average.(3)
These consultants and others realize that three separate levels of crime foreseeability are necessary to allow premises operators to gauge their security effectiveness relative to that of the outside environment and against commonly used security practices or industry guidelines. What has been missing historically from these evaluations is the impact of existing security measures on the external crime demographics. For example, a crime demographics survey of an apartment complex may indicate a moderate to high assaultive crime rate in the surrounding area. However, due to superior security measures in place, the actual crime history of the premises may be quite low by comparison.
What level of crime foreseeability does one assign? What level of security is required to meet the legal duty imposed by each level of foreseeability? These questions and more will be answered in the discussion that follows.
Low Crime Foreseeability
Low crime foreseeability is defined as a level such that after considering the nature, location, and crime demographics, a reasonable and thoughtful person would not anticipate assaultive crime while on the premises. This opinion would be supported by the absence of any previous assaultive crimes during the past several years; any crimes preceding that period would be too statistically remote in time.
Whole regions in a city can be considered low crime areas due primarily to their socioeconomic makeup and zoning. Moderate and high crime regions can have pockets of low crime areas, and even individual businesses can obtain a low crime foreseeability level by operating with effective security controls in place. As discussed earlier, certain premises could be assigned the level of low foreseeability prior to being open just by the nature and sometimes the location of the property.
A low crime foreseeability level has an upward limit that will be tested as assaultive crime occurs. If the quantitative and qualitative data still support a low probability of crime reoccurring, then current levels of security could still be deemed adequate. This data should be supported by an absence of fear of crime by the premises inhabitants and the presence of feelings of control over their environment. Most premises in the United States fall into the low crime foreseeability level, with the possible exception of certain sections
Moderate Crime Foreseeability
Moderate crime foreseeability is defined as a level such that after considering the nature, location, and crime demographics, a reasonable and thoughtful person would anticipate the possibility of assaultive crime while on the premises. This opinion should be supported by crime demographics on the site and surrounding area that indicate some previous assaultive crimes over the past several years but that do not fit any identifiable pattern or trend. The number of assaultive crimes is still too statistically uninformative to warrant any single radical response to prevent future occurrence. However, a moderate level of crime foreseeability should have originally generated a combination of security precautions to prevent future crimes of a similar nature or location from reoccurring. A moderate level of crime foreseeability should be evidenced by an average amount of awareness and fear of crime while on the premises. The reasonable person will take advantage of available security measures and will use common sense to limit exposure to potential danger.
It is possible for a premises to implement effective security precautions that will reduce exposure to the level of low crime foreseeability. Many urban premises are at this moderate level, and operators attempt to maintain security precautions to reduce crime to its lowest possible level. Unfortunately, the success of a sound security plan can backfire if one decides to cut back on security expense or fails to maintain the existing level of security precautions believing the problem to be solved. When this occurs, patrons and tenants sometimes become angered by the cutback in security and apparent disregard for their personal safety. In my experience, these victims make up the largest class of premises liability litigants.
High Crime Foreseeability
High crime foreseeability is defined as a level such that after considering the nature, location, and crime demographics, a reasonable person would actually anticipate that an assaultive crime might occur at any time. This opinion would be supported by crime demographics that showed a pattern of assaultive and other crimes on the premises and in the surrounding area continuously for several years. The prior number of assaultive crimes would statistically suggest a high probability of continued assaults if radical security precautions are not implemented, or if the nature of the premises remains unmodified. The physical premises usually show signs of vandalism, burglary attempts, and general disrepair. The neighborhood exhibits physical security precautions such as bars on the windows, alarm boxes, and perimeter fences. Inhabitants experience an elevated fear of crime, together with a feeling of losing control over their environment. The premises will typically have a bad reputation in the eyes of the surrounding neighbors and law enforcement personnel. The premises operator may feel that the costs of security precautions are not affordable and would have little effect on crime anyway.
A continuing level of high crime foreseeability is unacceptable in our society because it is against public policy to allow a dangerous condition to exist in premises accessed by the public for the benefit of the premises owner and operator. A business or residence in a high crime area can implement radical security precautions to control their incidence of assaultive crime. If successful, it is possible to reduce exposure to a moderate crime foreseeability level. However, the outside threat will continue, waiting for a break down in security. A premises owner may have no choice but to consider changing the nature of the business or relocating.
Variables in Crime Foreseeability
Often, premises liability litigation will focus on a specific location within a property and alleged inadequate security based on a design or mechanical defect in a security device. When this occurs, it becomes necessary to evaluate the crime foreseeability level for a specific factor such as a particular location, type of crime, or time of day. It is possible to have two or more different levels of crime foreseeability on the same property. For example, a convenience store in a moderate crime location during the day can increase its crime foreseeability level to high between the hours 10:00 PM and 2:00 AM when all surrounding businesses are closed and traffic counts are reduced; ground floor apartments in a building can have a high burglary history compared to a very low crime experience on upper floors, due primarily to accessibility.
Additionally, it would be difficult to reasonably foresee, for example: a rape inside a third floor apartment of a security building when adequate door and window locks were provided but not used; the possibility of a person firing an automatic weapon inside a convenience store at midday with several customers inside; or the accidental shooting of customer in the parking lot of a shopping mall by rival gangs who do not frequent the area.
Any premises liability evaluation must be prepared to specify a level of crime foreseeability for the site, the surrounding area, and in particular locations within the property. In addition, the evaluation should draw attention to the crime types to be anticipated. Once this is achieved, an analysis of existing security measures can be made. The question is not whether the crime at issue could have been prevented or not, but rather if the security precautions in place were adequate to prevent the type of crime that should have been reasonably anticipated.
Conclusion
Established criteria for determining a level of crime foreseeability must be utilized in order to provide a sound basis for your security plan. Otherwise, your security plan may be based on guesswork, uncertain predictions, and whim.
The criteria outlined here will allow for a complete analysis, which can be presented to a jury in an understandable fashion, and which should be viewed with a high degree of credibility. The results of your analysis will demonstrate that your security plan is based on a sound assessment, which can then be used to show that your security measures were designed to reasonable and adequate, under normal foreseeable circumstances.
Endnotes
1. Isaacs v. Huntington Memorial Hospital, 211 Cal.Rptr. 356 ( Cal. 1985), 364-5.
2. James F. Broder, Risk Analysis and the Security Survey (Boston: Butterworth Publishers, 1984), 32-33.
3. CAP Index Vulnerability Analysis. King of Prussia, Pa.: CAP Index, Inc.
Reprinted, with permission from, Security: Adequate...or Not? The Complete Guide to Premises Liability Litigation, Aegis Books, Inc., Copyright © 1990
Apartment Security Use of Security Guards
Apartment Security
Use of Security Guards
by Chris E McGoey, CPP, CSP, CAM
Courtesy Officer vs. Security Guard
http://www.crimedoctor.com/apartmen5.htm
Is there a difference between a uniformed security guard and a courtesy officer on an apartment property? The name obviously...but their function is often identical. It seems that some apartment managers believe that calling a uniformed security guard a "courtesy officer" somehow reduces their exposure to civil liability. This belief can’t be farther from the truth. The old saying applies here, If it looks like a duck, quacks like at duck, and walks like a duck...it’s probably a duck. Call them what you will, but know that it's the security guard uniform and conduct that will define their true job function.
In practical terms, the primary difference between the two is that the contract security guard is employed by the contractor and not by you. The in-house courtesy officer is an employee of the property management company and usually lives on the premises. The courtesy officer may not be in traditional uniform and may only wear a logo shirt. There are advantages and disadvantages of both types. The biggest advantage of a courtesy officer over the contract worker is the ability to have them live on-site and get to know the property and residents better. Most carry a pager and can respond quickly. Many courtesy officers offer superior service and become very loyal to the property they protect.
Many courtesy officers are off-duty police officers, and with them come superior training and experience. However, don't assume that off-duty police officers know how to provide adequate security to an apartment property. Apartment security isn’t taught at the police academy. Also, remember that off-duty police officers may be tired and may not want to wear another uniform or do a lot of foot patrol. However, many courtesy officers are mere civilians and can have the disadvantage of a lack of professional security or police training. Obviously, the training problem can be overcome with a little effort.
Background Checks
Another issue is one of background screening. Most uniformed contract security officers should have been screened at some level. Off-duty police officers, presumably, should have already been screened before being hired by their municipality. At minimum, job references and a basic criminal background should be checked on contract officers and non-police courtesy officers. You must inquire about this and require it of the guard company, in writing, as part of your contract to afford yourself greater liability protection.
If courtesy officers live on site, they should be qualified like any other resident including having verifiable job references and no felony criminal convictions. Yes, ex-felons need jobs too, but not working a security job at a residential property...too much liability. Most good applicants will have solid identifiable references, most bad applicants will not. Don't hire bad security applicants. The bottom line is: if you going to issue unit keys or master keys to a security guard or courtesy officer you better feel comfortable with them.
How to accurately check job references and criminal backgrounds is a constant source of complaint from property managers. It's not difficult, but access varies depending on where you live. The solution is to try, and to make a good faith effort. There are dozens of background screening services available and private investigators that perform this service at a reasonable rate. Look in the telephone directory or check with your local apartment association for referrals.
Contract Security Guard Service
The question that I’m most often asked is, "How do I find a quality contract security guard service for a reasonable price that will perform the patrols responsibly?" To answer this question you must first accept certain facts as being true.
Accept the fact that the words "quality and reasonable price" are often contradictory terms. Accept the fact that paying the highest or lowest price for a contract security patrol officer doesn't always equate to the quality of service, although there are exceptions. Accept the fact that all contract security agencies are drawn from the same labor pool for potential employees. If your market area has high employment the security guard labor pool may be substandard. In fact, many poor quality security officers will drift between contract agencies until they exhaust the supply of employers. Security guards are often transient and this is the first job they find after hitting town. Because of this fact, it can become a kind of a crapshoot sometimes as the contract agency sends a different security officer to patrol your property each night.
So what’s the Solution?
As a rule of thumb, you can increase your options and success if you select a larger, established contract agency over a smaller one. A larger agency can usually replace no-shows or unacceptable officers, even at the last minute, because they have a larger pool of employees. Also, larger agencies tend to retain officers longer because they can offer better training and supervision, more benefits, and can provide a defined career path. This doesn't guarantee success however, you still need to accept or reject poor quality security guards when it becomes apparent that they are not meeting the challenge.
You can drastically improve your success potential by setting up strict patrol compliance standards as part of the written contract. These are usually called "post-orders." Post orders should be detailed and always in writing. They are given to each officer as the basis for how they are to service your property. Any breach of the post-orders could be grounds for not paying for the defective service, for replacing the officers, or for replacing the contract security agency. Long-term courtesy officers usually don't require post-orders but more of a detailed job description.
Specific post-orders might include, for example, a set time requirement for patrol such as one-hour of foot patrol, three times per night, and between 8:00 PM and 4:00 AM. You should require that the security officers patrol all areas of the property and to document their patrol pattern in detail. This can be done either with written activity logs or with the use of a watchman’s clock or similar device. Don’t accept activity logs that merely state, "10:00 PM or 11:00 PM – all quiet." A proper activity log might state, "10:06 PM – Completed patrol of the south parking lot, one light burned out over parking space #256 or "10:14 PM – Checked the mail room, pool gate, laundry room, and bathroom door locks. All were secure."
Drive-through security patrols can be a waste of money if the security officer never stops or gets out of the car. Drive-through accounts rely on high visibility and therefore must spend time on a property to be really effective. Some contract security agencies will overbook drive-through accounts and thereby create a schedule that is impossible for the patrol officer to maintain. Because of this, some properties might get skipped altogether or receive only a high-speed pass through their property.
Here are some basic rules to follow to maximize contract security guard productivity:
* Always read the fine print on the contract. You may be signing an indemnity clause in favor of the contract guard agency.
* Always ask for a copy of their guard company license, and evidence of insurance coverage.
* Request to be named as an "additionally insured" on their policy and indemnity from their negligent acts.
* Always attach the detailed post-orders and patrol instructions as a contract addendum.
* Always require that detailed written activity logs be submitted following the last patrol. Read them, act upon them, and file them for at least two years. Do not accept or pay for incomplete service.
* Always require, in writing, that the security guard agency properly equip their officers with a full uniform, a hand-held radio or cell phone, a notebook and pen, a flashlight, and a vehicle if necessary.
* Always require, in writing, that the contract agency will provide necessary background screening, and all training that is suitable for the site to be patrolled.
* Always supply the security guards with an emergency call list and telephone access.
* Always notify the residents how to the contact security guards when needed.
* Communicate often with the security guard supervisors to get higher quality and service.
* Do not settle or pay for poor performance or inappropriate behavior.
Use of Security Guards
by Chris E McGoey, CPP, CSP, CAM
Courtesy Officer vs. Security Guard
http://www.crimedoctor.com/apartmen5.htm
Is there a difference between a uniformed security guard and a courtesy officer on an apartment property? The name obviously...but their function is often identical. It seems that some apartment managers believe that calling a uniformed security guard a "courtesy officer" somehow reduces their exposure to civil liability. This belief can’t be farther from the truth. The old saying applies here, If it looks like a duck, quacks like at duck, and walks like a duck...it’s probably a duck. Call them what you will, but know that it's the security guard uniform and conduct that will define their true job function.
In practical terms, the primary difference between the two is that the contract security guard is employed by the contractor and not by you. The in-house courtesy officer is an employee of the property management company and usually lives on the premises. The courtesy officer may not be in traditional uniform and may only wear a logo shirt. There are advantages and disadvantages of both types. The biggest advantage of a courtesy officer over the contract worker is the ability to have them live on-site and get to know the property and residents better. Most carry a pager and can respond quickly. Many courtesy officers offer superior service and become very loyal to the property they protect.
Many courtesy officers are off-duty police officers, and with them come superior training and experience. However, don't assume that off-duty police officers know how to provide adequate security to an apartment property. Apartment security isn’t taught at the police academy. Also, remember that off-duty police officers may be tired and may not want to wear another uniform or do a lot of foot patrol. However, many courtesy officers are mere civilians and can have the disadvantage of a lack of professional security or police training. Obviously, the training problem can be overcome with a little effort.
Background Checks
Another issue is one of background screening. Most uniformed contract security officers should have been screened at some level. Off-duty police officers, presumably, should have already been screened before being hired by their municipality. At minimum, job references and a basic criminal background should be checked on contract officers and non-police courtesy officers. You must inquire about this and require it of the guard company, in writing, as part of your contract to afford yourself greater liability protection.
If courtesy officers live on site, they should be qualified like any other resident including having verifiable job references and no felony criminal convictions. Yes, ex-felons need jobs too, but not working a security job at a residential property...too much liability. Most good applicants will have solid identifiable references, most bad applicants will not. Don't hire bad security applicants. The bottom line is: if you going to issue unit keys or master keys to a security guard or courtesy officer you better feel comfortable with them.
How to accurately check job references and criminal backgrounds is a constant source of complaint from property managers. It's not difficult, but access varies depending on where you live. The solution is to try, and to make a good faith effort. There are dozens of background screening services available and private investigators that perform this service at a reasonable rate. Look in the telephone directory or check with your local apartment association for referrals.
Contract Security Guard Service
The question that I’m most often asked is, "How do I find a quality contract security guard service for a reasonable price that will perform the patrols responsibly?" To answer this question you must first accept certain facts as being true.
Accept the fact that the words "quality and reasonable price" are often contradictory terms. Accept the fact that paying the highest or lowest price for a contract security patrol officer doesn't always equate to the quality of service, although there are exceptions. Accept the fact that all contract security agencies are drawn from the same labor pool for potential employees. If your market area has high employment the security guard labor pool may be substandard. In fact, many poor quality security officers will drift between contract agencies until they exhaust the supply of employers. Security guards are often transient and this is the first job they find after hitting town. Because of this fact, it can become a kind of a crapshoot sometimes as the contract agency sends a different security officer to patrol your property each night.
So what’s the Solution?
As a rule of thumb, you can increase your options and success if you select a larger, established contract agency over a smaller one. A larger agency can usually replace no-shows or unacceptable officers, even at the last minute, because they have a larger pool of employees. Also, larger agencies tend to retain officers longer because they can offer better training and supervision, more benefits, and can provide a defined career path. This doesn't guarantee success however, you still need to accept or reject poor quality security guards when it becomes apparent that they are not meeting the challenge.
You can drastically improve your success potential by setting up strict patrol compliance standards as part of the written contract. These are usually called "post-orders." Post orders should be detailed and always in writing. They are given to each officer as the basis for how they are to service your property. Any breach of the post-orders could be grounds for not paying for the defective service, for replacing the officers, or for replacing the contract security agency. Long-term courtesy officers usually don't require post-orders but more of a detailed job description.
Specific post-orders might include, for example, a set time requirement for patrol such as one-hour of foot patrol, three times per night, and between 8:00 PM and 4:00 AM. You should require that the security officers patrol all areas of the property and to document their patrol pattern in detail. This can be done either with written activity logs or with the use of a watchman’s clock or similar device. Don’t accept activity logs that merely state, "10:00 PM or 11:00 PM – all quiet." A proper activity log might state, "10:06 PM – Completed patrol of the south parking lot, one light burned out over parking space #256 or "10:14 PM – Checked the mail room, pool gate, laundry room, and bathroom door locks. All were secure."
Drive-through security patrols can be a waste of money if the security officer never stops or gets out of the car. Drive-through accounts rely on high visibility and therefore must spend time on a property to be really effective. Some contract security agencies will overbook drive-through accounts and thereby create a schedule that is impossible for the patrol officer to maintain. Because of this, some properties might get skipped altogether or receive only a high-speed pass through their property.
Here are some basic rules to follow to maximize contract security guard productivity:
* Always read the fine print on the contract. You may be signing an indemnity clause in favor of the contract guard agency.
* Always ask for a copy of their guard company license, and evidence of insurance coverage.
* Request to be named as an "additionally insured" on their policy and indemnity from their negligent acts.
* Always attach the detailed post-orders and patrol instructions as a contract addendum.
* Always require that detailed written activity logs be submitted following the last patrol. Read them, act upon them, and file them for at least two years. Do not accept or pay for incomplete service.
* Always require, in writing, that the security guard agency properly equip their officers with a full uniform, a hand-held radio or cell phone, a notebook and pen, a flashlight, and a vehicle if necessary.
* Always require, in writing, that the contract agency will provide necessary background screening, and all training that is suitable for the site to be patrolled.
* Always supply the security guards with an emergency call list and telephone access.
* Always notify the residents how to the contact security guards when needed.
* Communicate often with the security guard supervisors to get higher quality and service.
* Do not settle or pay for poor performance or inappropriate behavior.
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