Which Areas of Your Residential Community Need Apartment Security Guards?

Managing a residential community, such as apartments or condos, involves juggling a lot of responsibilities – but one of the most crucial responsibilities is safety. Your residents, staff, and visitors must feel safe throughout the complex. Hiring apartment security guards is a big part of that!

However, merely having guards is only part of the solution – they also need to be properly placed and utilized. That means performing security assessments and focusing on the most outstanding security risks.

The Three Biggest Threats to Residential Community Security

• Parking lots/garages

For any business, its parking areas are among the highest risk for security breaches. Parking areas cover a lot of space, which can be hard to properly surveil. That they are typically full of cars is doubly problematic: the cars are a magnet for thieves and vandals, while also providing endless hiding places for intruders.

It’s vital to have robust patrols and apartment security guards visibly present in the parking lot, to deter wrong-doing and project an image of safety to your people. Video surveillance should also be a part of parking lot security, but cameras alone will not deter criminals.

• Shared communal areas

Most apartments and other multi-family complexes will have shared communal areas, such as laundry rooms, gyms, or entertainment centers. Because these areas see a lot of traffic, and may even host visitors, it’s relatively easy for criminals to slip in.

These areas can be access-controlled, with keypad or keycard gating, which can reduce the risk. However, when there are going to be a lot of people around all the time, a visible apartment security guard will help people feel safer. The guards can also function as customer service, helping guests or sorting out disagreements between residents before they escalate.

• Lobby/reception

Finally, look at your front-facing areas. Your lobby or other reception areas are likely open to the public, or at least have fewer security measures than areas deeper in the complex. For this reason, they’re automatically easier for criminals to access.

Having one or two visible security guards in the reception area will do a lot to make your complex appear safe, while also deterring anyone attempting to sneak in for malicious reasons.

A Site Survey Identifies Your Problem Areas

If you aren’t certain how to best address security in your residential community, a site security survey is a great place to start. A professional security guard service can examine the entire complex, and help you identify the areas most in need of better security.

Professional Guard & Patrol has decades of experience protecting businesses and other operations across the greater Houston area. If you worry that the security in your residential complex is lacking, contact us to arrange for a survey!