Most property management companies are aware of the security precautions which they should take. Every apartment association convention seems to include one or more seminars designed to educate those in the multifamily industry on security issues. Unfortunately, educated management is only half of the solution. The balance of the security equation rests on the security precautions taken by residents. Yet, before residents can implement the appropriate security measures, they have to know what those measures should be.
What should owners and property managers look for in a resident education program? The first thing that should be considered is the diversity of your resident population. The medium one chooses should communicate effectively to as broad a range of the population as possible, irrespective of age or education. Also consider providing training in a second language if the community's resident profile justifies it.
When you consider the diversity of resident population, you should also consider their motivation to learn. If you offer information on the latest release from Microsoft to a person whose living or hobby revolved around personal computers, chances are there would be a high motivation to learn. Offer this same individual tips on fly fishing, and it may fall on deaf ears.
All of us are motivated to one degree or another by a desire to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe. This degree of motivation fluctuates. People typically reach their highest level of motivation after they have become a victim of crime. (This same phenomenon has parallels in the business world.) Fortunately for the general population, there are ways in which they can vicariously experience crime through television, newspapers, magazines, or friends and family so that they need not actually become a victim of crime in order to experience an increased motivation to enhance their personal security. Do not wait until a crime occurs at the property.
In implementing a security training program, managers should be certain that all residents, current and new, receive the selected training. Records should also be kept to show when and how residents have been trained. Both of these policies will be useful if liability questions arise.
Evaluating Training Programs
The goal of any resident training program is to change your residents' behavior. In order to accomplish, this, you must first make them more aware of the potential risks they face. This process creates the need for change.
The second step is to introduce residents to ways in which they can reduce their risk of becoming victims. A good program should include information on:
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Correct use of security devices provided by the landlord
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Use and installation of non-permanent auxiliary security devices, such as window locks and automatic timers
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Safety precautions to be followed in common areas
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How to secure and insure valuables
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Parking lot and automobile security
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A personal emergency plan for criminal activity, fire, or natural disaster
It would be impossible to cover every scenario that an apartment resident could encounter, so it is also important to provide the audience with information designed to help them develop their own personal security plan. An essential element of this process is teaching residents to be aware of their surroundings and to recognize signs of potential trouble. This skill, once developed, becomes second nature, causing individuals to see things they did not see before.
The first lesson is to train residents to always be on the alert. When people don't see trouble, they can't respond to it. Criminals are far more likely to "come out of nowhere" if a resident is reading his or her mail on the way back to the apartment, dragging in from the car after a long day at the office, or juggling a piled laundry basket at the laundry room door. When residents are outside their homes, they should never be completely relaxed.
If a resident does see a potential sign of danger, he or she should understand that there are only three responses: fight, flight, or freeze. It's a multiple choice test, but one in which the answer must be selected quickly.
Flight is always the most desirable choice, but it should be toward safety and not just away from the danger. Unfortunately, flight is not always an option, which leaves fight or freeze. Exposing your residents to these issues in advance increases the odds they will make the right choice quickly.
The Value of Security Training
The manner in which apartment residents conduct themselves within the community can have a significant impact on the cost crime imposes on management's bottom line. The cost of crime is manifested in escalating insurance premiums, the cost in man hours devoted to litigation management, and the negative impact crime has on the marketability of one's property. Without proactive steps by management, these costs can be expected to increase.
American Demographics reported in August 1995, "The experts agree that violent crime will increase in the years ahead, for demographics reasons alone. The number of Americans aged 15 to 24 is projected to rise 14 percent between 1995 and 2005. Those most likely to commit crime or to be victimized by crime are teenagers and young adults. What's more, crime-prone age groups are getting wilder in the 1990s."
While managers cannot do anything to change demographics, they can be proactive in training both their employees and their residents to be alert for criminal activity and know how to protect themselves.
Resident Security Tips
Look under your car and in the back seat before getting in.
Leave your radio on to a talk show while you're out.
Always use the deadbolt lock, even when you are at home.
Keep valuables where they cannot be seen through windows.
If you are not expecting a service call, ask for a phone number to confirm before opening your door.
If you think you are being followed, drive to a police or fire station. Don't go home.
Keep distances between yourself and parked cars when walking.
Notify your landlord in writing if locks are faulty or if you see a suspicious person.
Jack Cannata Jr. is president of Cobalt Technologies Inc. in Houston. The firm produces a video tape program for training residents in security techniques entitled Personal Security.
Source: Journal of Property Management, by Jack Cannata, Jr.
