Your condo board has a responsibility to take reasonable measures to keep the property and residents safe. Here we share security tips for condo boards to help you implement proven security strategies. 

Review, Assess and Establish Goals

Make sure your board understands your current security plan by reviewing the following:

• Security documentation
• Emergency response plans
• Access control policies
• Surveillance system specifications 
• Other security plans

Evaluate their effectiveness based on the security measures taken and how effective they’ve been since their implementation. Arrange a thorough security assessment with a property management company to identify vulnerabilities, analyze risks, and recommend improvements. Set goals and ensure the new strategy helps you meet them whether it is installing new access controls, improving surveillance with CCTV cameras, enhancing emergency preparedness, or personnel training to improve performance.

Create a Security Committee

Creating a security committee that includes residents as well as property management and security experts helps enhance community involvement and awareness. Owners with experience in security offer the most value from a strategy standpoint. However, those who are active in the community can be persuasive in recruiting fellow residents to create collective watchfulness to enhance surveillance. The more residents who are aware of security efforts, the more eyes you have watching for unauthorized or questionable activity. 

Perform Security Personnel Evaluations

If you employ security guards, it’s important they are effective at protecting the building and its residents. Although you don’t need heroes manning the front desk or monitoring the property, you do need dedicated employees who understand their jobs and take their roles seriously. Checking in on them at different times of the day, ensuring they can answer simple questions such as where emergency exits are, where the most vulnerable parts of the property are located, or where the emergency plan is stored, ensures they are on the ball and helping to keep the community safe. It’s also important to take complaints about security guards seriously and investigate alleged issues thoroughly. 

Leverage Advanced Technology

Advancements in smart alarm security systems, CCTV surveillance, real-time reporting, and access controls can improve security capabilities while reducing demands on the management team. 

Improve Lighting 

Well-lit areas are a deterrent for criminals especially in less visible areas such as underground parking, halls to amenities, stairwells or communal laundry rooms. It also helps capture faces to identify criminals on your monitoring system as a further safeguard against crime. Check the lighting in vulnerable areas identified by your assessment and include enhanced lighting as part of the improvements. 

Monitor Local Crime

Monitoring local crime can help assess risks for your property and residents. You can also warn residents about events in the area to ensure they are taking the proper precautions to protect themselves. 

Including security as part of your annual assessments helps ensure you have a strong plan and effective security measures in place. Involving the community, evaluating security personnel performance, updating technology and improving lighting all contribute to a safer environment for your community. 

The condo experts at CPO Management Inc, a full-service property management company in Toronto and the GTA, can help find security solutions to keep your condo property and residents safe. They have tremendous success in helping condo corporations implement cost-effective strategies for condo corporations. Reach out to us today to learn more about our condo services.