Preventing Crime in Your New Place
- Make sure your landlord or property manager controls all building keys. It is your job to find out exactly who has the keys to your apartment.
- Do not hide a spare key on the outside of your apartment. The building office should have a set of keys to your place and there really is no need to hide these where anyone may find it. Let’s face it, everyone knows about those plastic rocks that hold an extra key …and so do the criminals.
- Get to know your neighbors. Not only will you make some new friends but you’ll also be able to depend on each other for help. The ability to identify who lives in your complex will also help you notice when there is someone lurking around that shouldn’t be there. If you do see someone that doesn’t look like they belong, or who is acting in a suspicious manner, trust your gut and call your landlord or the police, immediately.
- Place your valuables away from a window where they can be seen from the outside, especially small objects that can easily be handled.
- Put your name on things like CDs, stereos, computers, etc. so they can be more easily identified for recovery. You can purchase a diamond tipped pen that you can use to engrave your name or initials permanently into wood, metal and other surfaces. This permanent identification mark is much more effective than using a marker that can easily we wiped clean.
- Do not keep large amounts of cash or expensive jewelry in the apartment. Get a safe deposit box if you need to since you’re probably not going to be wearing your expensive jewelry on a daily basis.
- Do not put your address or your name on your keys. If you lose them, the finder will easily be able to find out what doors they open. If you lose your apartment keys, let the building know immediately as your locks should be changed.
If installing an entire security system in your apartment is not an option because of cost, building restrictions, or other reasons, there are many useful and inexpensive devices that might be worth pursing to help keep your apartment secure.
- If you have windows with easy outdoor access, look into glass break sensors. This alarm is mounted on windows and detects any sort of breakage with a loud alert.
- A doorknob alarm simply hangs over a metal doorknob and sounds if someone touches the outside of the knob.
You can also look into mini entry alarms, wireless door chimes, motion detectors and timers for your lights. All of these systems discourage intruders. Place a decal on the outside of your apartment where it can easily be seen. Even if you don’t have a dog, a “Beware of Dog” sticker on your window will place doubt in the mind of a potential intruder. The same can be said for a decal announcing that the apartment has an alarm system or that there is a neighborhood watch in effect.
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