Integrating security protocols to keep your residents safe

As a New Yorker, it’s a nightmare occurrence. You enter the lobby of your apartment building and are quickly followed inside by a stranger, who then proceeds to harass, mug, or assault you.

The entire incident is recorded by a security camera in the lobby, so the public can view the scary span of events. As always, there is the shaking of heads, the hope that the assailant will be caught, and the uncomfortable knowledge that it could happen to someone else. Something, the public says, must be done.

Achieving balance in residential building security

When building owners, managers, and boards explore their security options, they soon learn that securing a multi-unit residential building is a complex task. In essence, it’s a delicate balancing of wants and needs, security and respect for personal space, and required and discretionary tools. Working with a skilled security firm can help building owners, managers, and condo or co-op boards achieve this balance, one that is both smart and effective.

Required safety initiatives are written into building codes by municipalities. These efforts include carbon monoxide and smoke detectors. In fact, they’ve become so commonplace that building residents don’t even notice them – they are simply a part of everyday life.

Other security measures, such as video surveillance and advanced access control, are often viewed as discretionary. As a result, they are often the cause of heated debates at building meetings – but at this point, residents deserve to live with peace of mind. To prevent events like the one above, residential building owners can implement a fully integrated security system that uses top-of-the-line technology.

Residential video surveillance

Video surveillance is the go-to security measure for properties of all shapes, sizes, and uses, primarily because the public is much more familiar and comfortable with the technology. The public has grown accustomed to being recorded on streets and in stores, and is likely to even prefer surveillance to prevent crime.

Security cameras are a known deterrent. Criminals often think twice before entering a residence when they see a camera recording their every move. And to make full use of a camera’s ability, managers, owners, and boards should consider 24/7 monitoring. Thanks to technology and analytics, security firms can monitor video feeds from a remote location and intervene in real-time to deter crime or assist a resident in need.

Access control and remote visitor management

Access control restricts unauthorized people from entering a building by establishing a single entrance point, as well as a system of having residents swiping a card or inputting a code. Not only do these methods deter or delay an intruder from entering a building, it obviously creates a physical barrier between the assailant and the potential victim.

In buildings that do not have security personnel in the lobby to check credentials, it is possible to establish a remote visitor management system. Through a combination of intercom, digital video servers, and access control, operators in a remote location are able to collect data from the visitor, contact the resident for entrance authorization, open the door, and keep a log for future reference.

Remote package management

Much like a commercial facility, multi-unit residential complexes have to deal with a high rate of traffic from delivery personnel. With more and more people shopping online these days, there are bound to be packages and delivery men and women coming in on a daily basis.

Through a remote package management system, buildings are outfitted with a package room. Using the same technology that remotely manages visitors, delivery personnel will be asked to provide identification before being granted access to the lobby. While in the building, the remote operator can monitor the behavior and location of the delivery person throughout the building in real time, watch the person exit, and then notify residents when they have a package. Additionally, a log is kept for future reference.

Building a better security system for your building

When we’re home, we all want the peace of mind to know that we’re safe. A credentialed security firm can assist building owners, managers, and boards to design a fully integrated system.

POM Technologies offers a wide assortment of security solutions for multi-unit and luxury apartment buildings. Our integrated system, which makes use of the newest technology, includes intercom systems, remote visitor management, remote package management, and monitoring on motion solutions. For a free consultation, call POM Technologies at 212.688.2767 or complete our online form.