December 2024
There was a shooting in my building. What should building management be doing about it? Should they be keeping residents informed?
P. T.
Response from Toronto Condo News
Unfortunately, no building is 100 percent secure. Any security systems that exist can be circumvented by a sufficiently motivated individual. Furthermore, excessive security creates its own set of problems that can be opposed by building residents. Condo boards and management are responsible for striking a reasonable balance given their available resources.
The incident you cite may not have been a security breach or rule infraction that was controllable. It may have been related to a domestic dispute, or a guest properly allowed into the building. Under these circumstances, this is little that management can offer or do to prevent a recurrence.
Hopefully your community is one with a tradition of communicating with residents. Assuming this to be the case and no failure in building security, little can be done other than make residents aware of the incident and reminding them of standard security precautions which should include never allowing someone unknown to enter the building, and that residents are responsible for the actions of their guests and visitors.
If there was a security breach or an unauthorized individual obtained access to the building, resident communications should explain the nature of the breach and what efforts are being undertaken to ensure such an incident is unlikely to recur. It may be that certain doors were broken, left open or accessible. Perhaps a security guard was on patrol and did not see an individual entering the building. It may be that the individual entered when someone opened the door for them or failed to close it when entering or exiting the building.
Maintaining a secure home requires situational awareness. Changing technology, resident turnover, available funds, and constant vigilance by building management and residents are all part of maintaining a safe and secure home. Both residents and management need to work together.
Effective communication and correcting for known security deficiencies are the best ways to avoid a repeat of this incident.
