How Safe Is Your Apartment From Criminals?
By Charles Montaldo, About.com
Even in the most desirable apartment buildings, security is a concern. Often crimes are committed in apartment buildings by those who have access to it such as other tenants, maintenance people, and friends of tenants. Criminals look for vulnerability like an opened window or someone who leaves their door unlocked on a regular basis.
Taking this short quiz can help you determine if you are doing all that you can to make your apartment safe or if there are other prevention measures that you may not have considered.
Answering these 20 Questions can help you determine if you are doing all that you can to make your home safe or if there are other prevention measures that you may not have considered.
- Are background checks performed on all tenants in your apartment complex?
- Does your apartment management enforce compliance to the rules of your complex?
- Was your entry door lock rekeyed or deadbolt locks replaced when you moved in?
- Do your exterior doors fit their frames tightly, with no more than 1/8 inch space between the door and frame?
- Are all windows accessible from ground level protected by bars that can be opened from the inside?
- Do your windows and sliding doors have anti-lift devises to prevent them from being lifted out?
- Do you use crime prevention or alarm decals on accessible windows or doors?
- Is just your first initial and last name on your apartment directory and mail boxes?
- Do you have an alarm system in your apartment?
- Are the hallways in and around your building well lit, and burned out bulbs replaced promptly?
- Are there mirrors placed strategically in the hallways that allow you to see around the corners?
- Do you have a policy of never buzzing a stranger into your apartment building no matter how good an excuse they have?
- Do you allow strangers access to your apartment building when you are coming in or out of the buildings door?
- Do you use a wide-angle 160 degree peephole mounted no higher than 58 inches?
- Do you use a cover on the door's peephole to prevent people from seeing through it?
- Do you have a community watch program in your complex?
- Do you look inside the elevator before entering it?
- If you feel uncomfortable with the occupants in the elevator do you wait for next one?
- Do you use timers to activate lighting, radios or television when you are not home?
- If a suspicious person enters the elevator do you exit before the door closes?
Basically, the lower your score the more opportunities you have to increase the security of your apartment against burglars and other criminals.
