November 2021
Residents failing to follow basic safety practices make communities easy targets for theft.
Criminals are attracted to communities where money, cars, computers, cellphones, bicycles, parcels and locker rooms are easily accessed. Failing to take reasonable security precautions makes your home easy prey.
Don’t allow unknown individuals to enter a building or parking garage behind you. Following someone into a building after they have unlocked a door, known as tailgating, is a common practice for gaining unauthorized entry. Intruders recognize that many are uncomfortable with confrontation and capitalize on this. Inform security when someone follows you through a door and you prefer not to confront them. Tailgating also applies to entering a parking garage. Intruders follow a car into the garage once a door has been opened. They may be in another vehicle, on bicycle or walking.
An unlocked door provides easy access to any intruder who has gained access to your building. Up to a third of all building residents are estimated to leave their door unlocked at least part of the time. It is best to keep your door locked at all times.
Keep purses, keys and other valuables away from the front door. An intruder opening your door, after obtaining access to the building, will grab anything of value near the front door and disappear before being detected.
Regardless of the level of security in buildings, residents facilitating and failing to report intrusions is an ongoing concern. Boards and management that fail to inform residents of security breaches present a false sense of security that encourages residents to continue with insecure practices.
