Home Alarms Systems

How safe is your apartment ? part III

In this part of the How safe is your apartment series I will discuss a few things that may seem obvious yet are probably things that you may not consienciously think about. We tend to neglect some important factors when considering our apartment’s security. Here are a few things that do not require a home security system that you might like to know.

Your Neighborhood Security.

How safe your neighborhood actualy is has a great impact on your over all buildings  security. A good way to find out how safe your neighborhood is,simply call the police department at its non-emergency number. If you are not sure where to get it , you can call telephone assistance, and they will be able to provide you with a non emergency number.

You may also check to see if they have a website. More and more municipalities have police departments with websites that contains information about crimminal incidents in your area. You can also request your local police dept. to review your buildings security, they can give you an outline on the buildings security strengths and weaknesses. It may even warrant the neccesity to hire a good securtiy firm.

It is also a good idea to join the local neighborhood watch program. Most tend to associate these neighborhood watch programs with private homes, yet they are equally effective for your apartment and building’s security. If no watch-type program exists, you can easily create one yourself and get the neighbors involved. Everybody is concerned for their personal safety and this can create a great sense of community.

Who is responsible for the security of your building.

The condominium corporation or landlord is responsible for your buildings security. This will usually involve the following;-

The security systems should  meet the requirements for apartment building security, this includes window locks, good lighting, and quality door locks.

The security systems should provide adequate protection for all residents. This should include inside their apartments or condo units, including the common areas of the buidling including, entry, corridors, laundry rooms, parking garages, elevators and outside perimeters of the building.
The management should also conduct regular inspections to spot any malfunctions or security problems like burned out lights, and broken or malfunctioning locks,and even ask residents to submit their security concerns as an ongoing commitment for proper building security.

How about your personal security?

It is important to have an ongoing awareness of your immediate surroundings.You want to reduce the risks of attack as much as possible.

Your gut instinct plays a  vital role in your personal safety. For millenia, man has had to rely on his gut instincts to survive in the wild. This instinct is no less diminished today, however it must be taken seriously if you have a ‘bad feeling’ about something. If you feel something is not quite right when approaching your bulding’s entrance, then try entering from another door. You may even consider calling the police if your gut feeling warrants it.You may also want to time your exits and entrances with other residents, or if possible, use the building entry only during daylight.

If you are planning an extended trip away from home, do not leave any messages on your answering machine announcing that you are away.
Think about asking a neigbbour you can trust to handle your mail and to keep an eye out for your place while your gone. Cancel your newspaper subscription or get a nieghbor to pick them up for you.

Yes, this is all common sense, but I think that we take alot for granted.  These things happen to other people. Its easy to convince ourselves of that so things are fine until it happens to us.

In conclusion, I think every little idea helps no matter how trivial it may sound to contribute towards a more secure environment for you and your family.

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