Apartment Security

Security Guards in Apartment Housing

Owning, managing, and living in rental housing can be a challenging experience. Apartment owners have certain legal duties to provide reasonably safe rental housing. Apartment residents rely on property owners and managers to a large degree to make the premises reasonably safe. An apartment unit should be the sanctuary for you and your family...but is it? Is your family really safe once they get inside your apartment and lock your door?

Use of Security Guards

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. 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 badapplicants 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 we are 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 poorquality 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:

Unauthorized Occupants

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 our 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 professional 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:

Technology Promotes Safety

Multifamily rental housing studies have told us for years that security is an important consideration for apartment and condominium dwellers, especially in urban areas. It is hardly surprising to now see "security" being sold as an amenity in many progressive apartment communities.

The secret to selling security, like any amenity, is to promote it and then maintain it. Promoting security and safety is in everyone’s best interest and helps keep the level of awareness high. New technology requires interaction with the residents, which tends to reinforce the original security purpose. Contrary to popular belief, promoting security does not create any additional liability risks, as long as the information provided is accurate and the security feature is maintained.

Security Technology

Advances in security technology have allowed us to provide an enhanced the level of protection while at the same time reducing the cost of operation. Security technology doesn’t always mean high-tech or new-tech. Sometimes old-tech works just fine. A classic example is having a high-tech, state-of-the-art alarm system versus having a big dog in the yard. Both are likely to deter the same burglar if fear of being detected (or bitten) is a concern.

Access Control

The most visible form of security technology is in the hardware area called access control. This includes fences, gates, windows, doors, locks, and common area lighting. Aside from the presence of a uniformed courtesy officer, access control barriers are what residents think of when they look for security features on a property.

Security Gates

Automatic gates and formidable wrought-iron fencing are the most common high-profile access control system added during new construction of garden apartments. Gated communities are desirable to most prospective residents and most properties change a premium rent for it. The main benefit of an automatic gate system on a low-crime property is the perception of security and exclusivity. Let’s face it, everyone wants to feel good about where they live and a gated community is like a private club where access privileges are required. Any real benefits of crime prevention are a plus.

Still, other apartment communities add gate systems as a barrier to keep criminals off the property and away from rent paying residents. In this setting, the intention is to reduce crime and retain residents by erecting a significant barrier to unauthorized vehicle and foot traffic. Because it is a capital expense, gates are often considered as a cheaper alternative to hiring and managing courtesy officers.

The best gate type depends on the property type. Swinging gates installed on a high-traffic college property or a high crime property will be a maintenance nightmare. Swinging gates look better than the horizontal sliders but are more expensive to maintain. Two mechanical gate operators are required to open each wing of the swinging gate, which doubles the expense and requires twice the maintenance. Swinging gates also get damaged more severely than sliding gates as anxious drivers hit them as they enter the property with their automobiles.

Card Access Systems

Electronic card access technology is still the best system for opening locked common area doors and gates. For newly constructed large properties, card access technology is a better choice than using a radio transmitter for the gates and metal keys for the doors because it offers greater management benefits. Plastic access cards are inexpensive compared to the costs of maintaining metal keys.

Card-key software can be programmed to limit residents to certain buildings and record the time, date, and location of each entryway used. For example, access cards can be programmed to authorize and monitor which residents access the gym, spa, pool, or weight room, which can be a great liability benefit. Card programming can be used in conjunction with video surveillance systems to determine who last entered a room, a building, or drove through the main gate.

Access cards can also be integrated as photo-ID cards for employees on a large property. Programmable cards are great for monitoring employee time and attendance, security patrols of the property, and can limit access to sensitive areas like the manager’s office, the maintenance shack, or the key control room.

Key Control

With a card access system, key control of common area doors is easier and cheaper to manage. If an access card is lost or a resident moves out, the card can be deleted from the system with a few keystrokes. Gone are the days of pulling common area door locks and changing lock cores or re-keying metal keys.
Metal Keys
For large properties; technology has provided a solution for controlling metal apartment unit keys. Several vendors now make a computer-based key control system that safely stores and codes each key and can be password protected at multiple levels. When the backup unit key is retrieved for example, the time, date, unit number, and person taking and returning the key is recorded. The computer will know at all times what keys are in inventory and can print a key inventory history upon request.

Doors, Windows, Locks

Entry doors and sliding windows are not as solid as they used to be, but technology has provided solutions to make them secure once again. The weakest part of a door lock assembly has always been at the doorjamb and lock strike-plate area. New heavy-duty strike-plates using 3-inch screws and doorjamb reinforcement plates are on the market and have received high ratings in preventing forced entry. Even though low quality door locks still flood the market, new high-security Grade-1 and Grade-2 door locks are readily available at most supply sources.

Sliding windows and doors, once vulnerable to forced-entry have been improved with special anti-lift and anti-slide features built into the framing. Architects are starting to include these specifications into their drawings and builders are starting to recognize the importance and salability of these improved security features.

Common Area Lighting

Lighting is obviously the most visible form of security after dark. Good lighting is what makes us feel safe. Lighting should allow you to read building numbers, safely navigate the walkways from your car to your door, and identify a potential threat at 100 feet. Lighting technology has improved and so has the cost efficiency of providing adequate illumination. For a bright white light, I recommend the use of metal-halide fixtures especially for large parking lot areas and thoroughfares.

In moderate climates, I recommend fluorescent lamps for covered parking and common area walkways and stairwells because they are very energy efficient. For example, it's possible to replace every incandescent lamp fixture with fluorescent fixtures on a property and enjoy a return on your investment with one-year’s energy savings.

Security Trends

As the century turns, expect to see increased demand for security amenities, especially on upscale properties. More and more workers will begin telecommuting from home. The advent of the Internet and e-mail has opened up vast opportunities for work-at-home occupations such as software development, web site graphic design, stock day-trading, advertising, and technical writing. Alarms systems, electronic access control, adequate lighting, and a visible security presence will be desirable amenities that apartment dwellers will seek out.

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 enforceoccupancy 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:

Apartment Security Survey

As an ace security consultant Mr.Vikash Verma relates an incident, “I just finished inspecting a one-bedroom apartment unit for a friend on a twenty-year old upscale property in Phoenix. This property is operated by one of the largest property managers in the country. I was surprised by what I found.
On my recommendation, my friend selected a highly visible second floor unit, in view of the office, because it would be inherently safer for a single woman living alone. I inspected the door locks and found only one in place. It was a tired-looking deadbolt lock that had obviously been switched from another unit. I thought a new resident surely deserves a newly keyed lock, especially if it’s the only one on the door? To make matters worse, the old lock had paint splashed on it making it easily distinguishable to the former users. No one could say for certain how many times this lock had been rotated between units and how many keys were out there.

Upon examining the lock strike-plate, I found two half-inch wood screws holding the strike plate onto a frail-looking piece of dried-out doorjamb. It would only take one firm kick to gain access into the unit and to my friend. I examined the accessible sliding glass windows and doors and found them with the usual aluminum latching hardware. All these glass sliders were missing secondary track-blocking devices and anti-lift measures. I feel these devices are necessary on all accessible sliding windows because of the potential for the latches to fail and not withstand minimal prying or lifting force.

I was concerned how these security measures were somehow overlooked when inspected at turnover by maintenance workers and by the leasing consultants who showed it. I learned that instead of a detailed unit walk-through with the leasing consultant, my friend was simply handed a form to fill out and return only if she noticed anything that was damaged in the apartment. How many new residents would know to check the door locks, strike-plates, and window security? Does this practice sound familiar to you?

Imagine how you would feel, if someone who you cared about was brutally attacked inside their apartment unit. Imagine how you would feel if you learned that the assailant gained entry by either using an old key or by easily kicking the door open. Wouldn’t you be upset? Wouldn’t you what the apartment property manager punished for not acting responsibly? This is precisely why lawsuits are filed”.

Starting today, take a look at all your apartment units to see if they comply with these basic security rules:

• Your home is your castle

...or is it? Are you really safe once you get in your apartment and lock your door? In an open society your apartment should be the sanctuary for you and your family. Your apartment is the only environment where you have control over who can get close to you or your family. Protecting your apartment and family from criminal intrusion should be high on your list of priorities. See our web page on Family Security Tips for more information on protecting your family from harm. See Apartment Security Advice for more original articles on Apartment Security. See also Home Invasion Survival Tips.

Burglary

By far, the most common threat to an apartment unit is burglary. Burglary, by definition, is a non-confrontational crime, but being victimized can leave a family feeling vulnerable and violated. To prevent a burglary, it is important to first gain an understanding of who commits them and why. The majority of apartment burglaries occur during the daytime when most people are away at work or at school. Burglaries also occur at night when there are obvious signs that no one is home. Most apartment burglars are young males looking for things that are small, expensive, and can easily be converted to cash. Items like cash, jewelry, guns, watches, laptop computers, and other small electronic devices are high on the list. Quick cash is needed for living expenses and drugs.

Statistics tell us that more than 30% of all apartment burglars gained access through an open door or window. Ordinary household tools like screwdrivers, channel-lock pliers, small pry bars, and small hammers are most often used by burglars. Although apartment burglaries may seem random in occurrence, they actually involve a selection process.

The burglar's selection process is simple. Choose an unoccupied apartment with the easiest access, the greatest amount of cover, and with the best escape routes. What follows is a list of suggestions to minimize your risk by making your home unattractive to potential burglars.

Doors and Locks

The first step is to "harden the target" or make your apartment more difficult to enter. Remember the burglar will simply bypass your apartment if it requires too much effort or requires more skill and tools than they possess. Most burglars enter via the front, back, or garage doors. Experienced burglars know that the garage door is usually the weakest followed by the back door. The garage and back doors also provide the most cover. Burglars also know to look inside your car for keys and other valuables so keep it locked, even inside your garage. Apartment managers should use solid core doors and high quality locks on exterior doors that will resist twisting, prying, and lock-picking attempts. A quality Grade-1 or Grade-2 deadbolt lock will have a beveled casing to inhibit the use of channel-lock pliers used for forced entry. A quality door knob-in-lock set will have a 'dead latch' mechanism to prevent slipping the lock with a shim or credit card.

Forced Entry

The most common way used to force entry through a door with a wooden frame is simply to kick it open. The weakest point is almost always the strike plate that holds the latch or lock bolt in place followed by glass panels in doors. The average door strike plate is secured with only 1/2-inch screws set into the soft doorjamb molding. These lightweight moldings are often tacked on to the door frame and can be torn away with a firm kick. Because of this construction flaw, it makes sense to upgrade to a heavy-duty four-screw strike plate. They are available in most quality hardware stores and home improvement centers and are definitely worth the extra expense. Install this strike plate using 3-inch screws to cut deep into the door frame stud. This one step alone will deter or prevent most through-the-door forced entries. You and your family will sleep safer in the future.

Sliding Glass Doors

Sliding glass doors are usually installed at the rear of an apartment making them good candidates for entry by a burglar. In warm climates, an experienced burglar knows that sliding glass doors are often left standing open for ventilation or for pet access. Since they slide horizontally, it is important to have a secondary blocking device in place to prevent sliding the door fully open from the outside. This can be easily accomplished by inserting a wooden dowel or stick into the track thus preventing or limiting movement. Other blocking devices available are metal fold-down blocking devices called "charley bars" and various track-blockers that can be screwed down.

Sliding glass doors are notorious for failing to prevent a forced entry attempt especially in apartment buildings. This is because of the wear and tear and lack of maintenance they receive and due to the inadequate nature of many of the latching mechanisms. Sliding glass doors don’t have locks on them, only latches. The latches are made of aluminium and can become worn or out of adjustment. The most common methods used to force entry, aside from breaking the glass, is by prying the door near the latch or lifting the door off the track. The blocking devices described above solve half the equation. To prevent lifting, you need to keep the sliding door rollers in good condition and properly adjusted.

You can also install anti-lift devices such as a pin that extends through both the sliding and fixed portion of the door. There are also numerous locking and blocking devices available in any good quality hardware store that will prevent a sliding door from being lifted or forced horizontally. Place highly visible decals on the glass door near the latch mechanism that indicates that an alarm system, a dog, or block watch/operation identification is in place, if applicable. Apartment managers should be careful not to misrepresent that these devices are in place if they are not. Burglars dislike alarm systems and definitely big barking dogs.

Sliding Windows

Windows are left unlocked and open at a much higher rate than doors. An open window, visible from the street or alley, may be the sole reason for an apartment to be selected by a burglar. Ground floor windows are more susceptible to break-ins for obvious reasons. Upper floor windows become attractive if they can be accessed easily from a stairway, tree, fence, or by climbing on balconies. Windows have latches, not locks, and therefore should have secondary blocking devices to prevent sliding them open from the outside. Inexpensive wooden dowels and sticks work well for horizontal sliding windows and through-the-frame pins work well for vertical sliding windows.

For ventilation, block the window open no more than six inches and make sure you can't reach in from the outside and remove the blocking device. In sleeping rooms, these window blocking devices should be capable of being removed easily from the inside to comply with fire codes. Like sliding glass doors, anti-lift devices are necessary for ground level and accessible aluminum windows that slide horizontally. The least expensive and easiest method is to install screws half-way into the upper track of the movable glass panel to prevent it from being lifted out in the closed position. Place highly visible decals on the glass door near the latch mechanism that indicates that an alarm system, a dog, or block watch/operation identification system is in place, if applicable. Apartment managers should be careful not to misrepresent that these devices are in place if they are not.

Be a Good Neighbour

Good neighbour’s should look out for each other. Get to know your neighbour’s on each side of your apartment and the three directly across from you. Invite them into your apartment, communicate often, and establish trust. Good neighbour’s will watch out for your apartment and vehicle when you are away, if you ask them. They can report suspicious activity to management, to the police, or to you while you are away. Between them, good neighbour’s can see to it that normal services continue in your absence by allowing authorized vendors to enter your apartment.

Good neighbours can pick up your mail, newspapers, handbills, and can inspect the inside of your apartment periodically to see that all is well. Allowing a neighbour or management to have a key solves the problem of hiding a key outside the door. Experienced burglars know to look for hidden keys in planter boxes, under doormats, and above the ledge. Requiring a service vendor to contact your neighbour to gain access will send the message that someone is watching. This neighbourhood watch technique sets up what is called 'territoriality.' This means that your neighbour’s will take ownership and responsibility for what occurs in your mini-neighbourhood. This concept works great in apartment communities. This practice helps deter burglaries and other crimes in a big way. Of course for this to work, you must reciprocate and offer the same services.

The biggest difficulty getting to this level of oversight is taking the first step. You can take it by calling your local crime prevention unit at the police department. Most police departments in large cities have neighbourhood watch coordinators to help you set this up. You should invite your adjacent neighbour’s over to your home for coffee and begin the information exchange. You'll be amazed how the process runs on automatic from there.

Lighting

Interior lighting is necessary to show signs of occupancy inside a residence at night. Seeing a dark apartment night-after-night sends a message to burglars that you are away. Light-timers are inexpensive and can be found almost everywhere. They should be used on a daily basis, not just when you’re away. In this way you set up a routine that your neighbour’s can observe and will allow them to become suspicious when your normally lighted apartment becomes dark.

Typically, you want to use light-timers near the front and back windows with the curtains drawn. The pattern of them clicking on and off simulates actual occupancy. It is also comforting not to have to enter a dark residence. Timers can also be used to turn on the television or radio to simulate occupancy during the daytime. After dark, a bright television can be seen flickering through the curtains and gives the feeling that someone is home. Similarly, the radio or television can be heard through the door if turned on loud enough.

Exterior lighting is also very important. It becomes critical if you must park in a common area parking lot or underground garage and need to walk to your front door. The purpose of good lighting is to allow you to see if a threat or suspicious person is lurking in your path. If you can see a potential threat in advance then you at least have the choice and chance to avoid it. Exterior lighting needs to bright enough for you to see 100 feet and it helps if you can identify colours. Good lighting is definitely a deterrent to criminals because they don't want to be seen or identified. Apartment management needs to have a system in place to periodically inspect and replace lighting outages.

Another important area to be well-lighted is the perimeter of your apartment building especially at the entryway. Common area lighting on apartment properties should also be on a timer or photo-cell to turn on at dusk and turn off at dawn. Exterior lighting at the rear of an apartment are usually do not turn on automatically. They require you to turn on the light inside switch. The resident can choose to turn these lights on or off. A better idea is to install security lights that activate by infra-red motion sensor. They are relatively inexpensive ($25) and can easily replace an exterior porch light or side door light on townhouse style apartments with rear doors. The heat-motion sensor can be adjusted to detect body heat and can be programmed to reset after one minute. These infra-red security lights are suggested for apartments with patios and back doors.

Alarm Systems

Alarm systems definitely have a place in an apartment security plan and are effective, if used properly. The reason why alarms systems deter burglaries is because they increase the potential and fear of being captured and arrested by the police. The deterrent value comes from the alarm company lawn sign and from the alarm decals on the windows. Apartment burglars will usually bypass a unit with visible alarm decals and will look for another property without such a decal. Some people, with alarm systems, feel that these signs and decals are unsightly and will not display them. The risk here is that an uninformed burglar might break a window or door and grab a few quick items before the police can respond. Also, don't write your alarm pass code on or near the alarm keypad.

Alarm systems need to be properly installed and maintained. Alarms systems can monitor for fire as well as burglary for the same price. All systems should have an audible horn or bell to be effective in case someone does break in. However, these audible alarms should be programmed to reset automatically after one minute. The criminal will get the message and will be long gone without your neighbour’s having to listen to your alarm siren for hours, until it is switched off. If you use a central station to monitor your alarm, make sure your response call list is up to date. Burglar alarms, like car alarms, are generally ignored except for a brief glance. However, if you have established and nurtured your neighbourhood watch buddy system, you will experience a genuine concern by your neighbour. It is not unusual to have a neighbour wait for the police, allow them inside for an inspection, and secure the residence. A good neighbour can also call friends or relatives for you, if pre-authorized by you.

Operation Identification

This is a program supported by most police agencies. They recommend that you engrave your drivers’ license number (not social security number) on televisions, stereos, computers, and small electronic appliances. They suggest this so they can identify and locate you if your stolen items are recovered. I suggest that you go way beyond this step.

I recommend that you photograph or videotape your home furnishings, electronic devices, and small appliances and make a list of the make, model, and serial numbers. You should keep this list in a safety deposit box or with a relative or neighbor for safe keeping. Beyond that I recommend that you photocopy important documents and the contents of your wallet annually. You will be thankful that you took these steps in case your home is ever destroyed by fire or flood, is ransacked, or if your wallet is lost or stolen.

Imagine this scenario. After a long week at work, you are finally able to relax at home with your spouse and two teen-age daughters. You’re in your living room watching TV with your spouse and your daughters are in their own rooms. Because both of you have worked hard for many years, you are now able to live more comfortably in what you thought to be a safe community. At 9:00PM you hear a knock on the door and your spouse gets up to answer the door. After the door is unlocked you hear a sudden outburst as two strange young men burst through the door and into your living room. As the door crashes open, you see your spouse is being punched and beaten to the floor. Before you have time react you are overcome by physical force and threats of harm to you and your family. The two men are brandishing guns and are shouting obscene threats and commands simultaneously as they push you onto the couch. One of the men quickly searches the house for other occupants while the other stands guard over you.

Your mind is racing. Will we be killed? Will these attackers beat us or molest our daughters? The level of terror and anxiety is enormous and will cause victims to sometimes act irrationally. Some will freeze and become incapacitated from fright. Others will instinctively resist and try to fight back. Others will run away if possible. Psychologists have labelled this phenomenon as the “fight or flight syndrome.” The first thirty seconds are the most critical to your family’s survival.

What Would You Do?

Most people have never pondered this question for themselves or with their family. How will I react under similar circumstances? How will my family react independent of me? How will we react together? How you naturally react depends on many factors: your sex, age, physical condition, culture, personality, how you process information, how you react under extreme pressure, special training, skills, and past experience in responding to aggression. Most people don’t know for sure how they will respond to a personal crisis until it occurs. Many are surprised afterwards by their behaviour as having been heroic, calm, cowardly, or stupid.

Would you try to overpower the invaders? Would you go for your gun? Would you try to activate an alarm? Would you try to escape and call for help? Would you comply with their demands and hope they don’t hurt you? Would you allow them to tie you up? Would you allow them to take a family member away from the home? Would you risk death to save your family from harm?

The response possibilities are endless, but most fall into three general response possibilities. You can resist the assault; comply with all commands; or you can try to stay calm, wait, and resist, comply, or flee as the scenario evolves. One thing is clear, there is no one single correct response to a life-threatening home invasion scenario. The choice is personal, based on your own assessment of your physical and mental capabilities and your belief as to the level of eminent danger.

Sometimes fighting and screaming works, especially if there are neighbour’s who will intervene or call the police. It makes no sense to risk fighting if you are physically incapable of doing so effectively. Total compliance sometimes works. The invaders might leave you unharmed and just leave. However, compliance may increase the duration of the invasion and therefore increase the potential for molestation. You need to thoughtfully consider how you or your family members might act under the circumstances and plan accordingly.

What Works

Having a family and neighbourhood plan is essential. If you develop a home security plan and talk about it with your family and neighbour’s, the chances of acting appropriately and getting help are greatly improved.

Prevention works best. Harden your home or apartment with strong doors and locks and three-inch screws in the lock strike plate and door hinges. See our web page on home security tips for more details. Use a wide-angle peephole and instruct everyone in your family not to open the door to strangers. Chain latches are ineffective as a barrier, so use your peephole to look outside before opening the door. Be suspicious of someone claiming to be making a delivery that you did not order or use other tricks to get you to open the door. Fortification of rear doors, sliding glass doors, and garage doors are also important. This gives you the necessary time to phone 911, sound audible alarms, or arm yourself.

Local Alarms

Audible alarm sirens can prevent home invasion...if they are set. Alarm systems can be designed so that perimeter door and window sensors are activated while the home is occupied. The alarm can be set to instantly go off upon unauthorized entry. Be prepared to give a prearranged duress password to the alarm company if they call. Most alarm panels have an emergency panic button that will function much like a 911 call and will instruct your alarm monitoring company to call the police. Alarm company lawn and window signs help advertise that your house is wired and capable of getting a response from the police. These alarm signs and decals offer good deterrence value and may cause the robber to select another victim.

Automatic Phone Dialers

Automatic dial telephones, that can call 911 in speakerphone mode, can be effective in getting police assistance. If a home invader breaks in you may have just a split second to push the 911 direct-dial button on your telephone. If you dial in speakerphone mode the police dispatcher can listen in on what is going on in the room. Every telephone in your home should be programmed with this feature and all family members should be instructed how to make this emergency call. Your home address will automatically pop up on the police dispatcher screen and an officer should be dispatched even if the phone wire is cut. All 911 hang-up calls are supposed to be investigated by the police because of this type of scenario.

Have an Escape Plan

If someone in the household can escape and call for help, the home invaders will have lost their advantage of having privacy and time. To some, running away from your family in crisis is distasteful, especially to men or women with children. However, the alternative might mean being handcuffed or tied-up or otherwise incapacitated and left to watch in horror as your family is molested. If you have a plan for escaping, make sure you include were to run and what to say. Sometimes a radical escape measure pays off, in life and death circumstances, like diving through a plate glass window, jumping from a balcony or climbing onto the roof. Although you might sustain minor injuries you must weigh them against your chance of survival with the assailants.

Home invaders will sometimes threaten harm to children to get adults to comply with their demands. But at the same time, children are often overlooked as potential rescuers and sometimes are not as well guarded. If the opportunity presents itself, a trained child can dial 911, activate an alarm panic button, or escape to the neighbour’s house to summon the police. If they are capable, they should do it.

Never Stop Thinking

Keeping a cool head is important, even in dire circumstances. If you can keep your wits about you one can increase their options by waiting for the right moment to act. Always be thinking and re-evaluating the situation as it evolves. At first there may be no chance for escape, but after a while you may see an opening. Fighting may not be wise, however the attackers may let their guard down once you appear to comply. If you decide to strike a blow, do it fast, suddenly, and forceful to the nose, eyes, or throat without concern for the damage you might inflict. While the assailant is momentarily stunned, make your escape. Don’t stand there waiting to throw more punches or gather family members. You might ask, won't that cause them to harm me for sure? Maybe, if they catch you. This is an option that must be considered. Sometimes hours into the siege, an opportunity arises where you can hit the automatic dial on the telephone or alarm panic button without being seen. Always be looking for that chance.

What Doesn’t Always Work

Screaming and shouting is the easiest and most natural thing that almost everyone can do. Screaming can alert savvy neighbour’s to call the police or the noise alone may scare off the home invaders. However, home invaders know this and will be prepared to make you stop screaming, by force, if necessary. One of the first threats you will hear is, “if you scream I’ll kill you.” If you can’t escape, but are out in public, scream your head off. Scream things like, “call 911.” Visit with your neighbour’s so they know that you have a family plan and teach them how to react when you need help.

Handguns and pepper spray can provide a means of self-defence in a life-threatening situation. Homeowners have successfully defended their families in the past from home invaders using such weapons. However, sometimes homeowners have lost their weapons to home invaders because they couldn't get to them in time to use them. Most chemical sprays are tucked away somewhere and many handguns are kept unloaded or locked up to prevent children from getting their hands on them. During a home invasion, you cannot always count on your ability to get to these weapons before being injured yourself. Ordinary household products can work in self defence. Chemical fire extinguishers work great to disorient the robber.

Fighting with the intruders sometimes works, especially if you have some training and are physically fit. But for most, fighting doesn't work because the victim was pre-selected for their lack of fight capability. In a life-threatening situation there are no rules for fighting in self defence. The idea is not to stand toe-to-toe and duke it out. All you need is one incapacitating blow to the nose, eyes, or throat to allow time to get out of there and call for help. Take a self-defence class together with your family so all can learn the proper techniques and can practice the procedures. A practiced technique has a better chance of being used effectively in a crisis.

Faking illness doesn’t always work especially in the home. Most home invaders don’t care about your welfare anyway. Faking illness might work in public or while being transported or while fighting off molesters, but don’t count on it as you only choice. You must decide in advance which technique to use depending on your acting skills.

What Not to Do

Don’t ever try to pull a weapon on an armed perpetrator who has you covered with a handgun unless you feel it’s your last chance. Don’t ever agree to be transported somewhere else like to an ATM machine or other location unless you feel it's a life or death decision. The second crime scene is almost always more violent than in your home. If you have a choice, never agree to be tied-up, handcuffed or be placed in the trunk of a car because it takes away most of your self defense options. Don’t ever follow an intruder once they leave your home. Leave that for the police. Don’t fight over property loss, it can be replaced but your life cannot.