Property Management companies have a responsibility for maintaining building safety and security.
Through Property Managers, other staff and internal or contract security, these individuals are responsible for surveilling and examining the buildings on a regular basis to identify weak spots, potential problem areas and opportunities for improving staff and building performance.
“Security is dictated by environment”, explains John Roberts, Security Strategist at JR Roberts Security Strategies. “The three approaches are that you evaluate the perimeter, exterior and interior and evaluate each of those areas in terms of the nature of the operation. Is it public, semi-public or private? What are the demographics of the people, your at-risk population? Who is coming to work? What ages are they? Are there more females than males?”, asks Roberts. The answers to these questions will help determine how tight the security needs to be, as well as what sorts of strategies to use.
William Deutsch notes in his article A Building Security Checklist, “Criminals like to feel that they are in control as they enter and exit an area. When they are in control, they have a low perception of risk, since they believe they are able to move about unnoticed. However, this sense of control can be denied by limiting and clearly marking the approaches to buildings and properties, thereby channeling visitors into a defined area”.
“Natural Access Control” Deutsch says, “is the use of building and landscaping features to guide people as they enter and exit a space. When applying Natural Access Control, both entrances and exits should be taken into consideration. Not only do you want to discourage intruders, but you also want to close off any potential escape routes”.1
Commercial facilities and buildings typically had physical security staff doing patrols and monitoring the premises. The exponential increase in much larger shared community dwellings have increased the need for 24/7 protection and monitoring, not just for businesses but for where employees go home at night.
Security personnel in property management are not just there to protect the assets and individuals but they are the liaison between contractors and vendors, often times the host or hostess and the first person a tenant will contact when there is an issue or concern. Real-time communication from security to other areas of the business are key in this role to improve building security and community safety with the director of property management or designated staff.
Security Measures
‘Security measures used will depend on the risk factors associated with that particular building, but may include alarms, security video, access control, security officers, visitor management and designated parking, among others. Certain areas of the building may be more high-risk than others as well and require stronger security. Having a successful working relationship with the property manager will ensure that security installations fit each property’s unique culture.
Visitor management systems are a great asset, particularly to those property managers who have multiple properties in their portfolios. The records generated through visitor management programs help building managers address tenants.’2
Challenges
A heavy focus is always on safety concerns, slip, trips and falls, areas vulnerable to trespass, key control and all threats to tenants, staff, and/or building and community safety.
‘Workplace violence incidents should be a major consideration. Security should be made aware of any disgruntled employees, angry former partners, restraining orders, allegations or stalking and other potentially threatening events. The more information a security team has, the more protection they can offer, especially in a multi-tenant building.’3
Tenants and employees who work night shifts or arrive late, many times request a security escort to their vehicle or home. The sheer size of many of new properties means more time for tenants or workers to be alone which significantly increases the risk of incidents occurring.
Future
From a technology standpoint, we believe that the tenant/guard/property manager relationship will only increase. Real-time communication through tools and technology will streamline responsiveness between all the stakeholders involved - the tenants, guards, contractors and the business. The move towards interoperability in the security space between technologies has been common-place for some time now. For properties, interoperability of communication and responsiveness is key to protecting those that matter most – the tenants and employees. This will continue to be addressed through emerging technologies via mobile applications that provide data analytics, information-sharing, lone worker and tenant protection and real-time and pro-active responsiveness.
If you are interested in looking at some of the emerging mobile applications mentioned above for the property management space, please contact Trackforce at 1 845 474-0033 or at info@trackforce.com or click in the button and request a free demo.
1 Deutsch, W. (2016, September 15, 2016. Retrieved from https://www.thebalance.com/how-to-secure-your-building-and-property-
2, 3 Ludwig, S. (2015, February 1, 2015. Retrieved from http://www.securitymagazine.com/articles/86079-finding-the-balance-in-property-management-security
