CREJ - Property Management Quarterly - April 2017
As a property manager, staying calm, cool and collected, especially when it counts, is more difficult than many would think. For example, over the weekend, I was notified via video surveillance of a thief strutting out of the parking garage with one of my tenant’s signature golf bags, which contained a brand new set of customized Ping golf clubs. Talk about remaining calm, cool and collected – this steely thief literally took his time, all caught on video surveillance, to leisurely exchange his stinky tennis shoes for a pair of the tenant’s Foot Joy classic golf shoes. The audacity of this fellow. I hope the new Foot Joy’s rub a blister on his big toe and he three-putts every hole! My initial gut reaction was to take the car, take the purse, anything but my tenant’s new golf clubs! Regardless of what was taken, that feeling of having your personal space violated and personal belongings stolen is awful. Unfortunately, this tenant had not locked his car doors, making him an easy target. While it may seem impossible to prevent such activity from happening, there are helpful measures that can be taken to reduce the exposure of theft, break-ins and vandalism. The good news is that such activity is predicable and, if predicable, we can work diligently to minimize such occurrences. I took the video footage to the local police department and was informed of a community outreach officer who covers the area where the incident took place. We held a meeting with all of the tenants and invited the police officer to come and share valuable information. Following are nine items we took away from the meeting. 1. Recognize this illegal activity occurs at all times, even during the day and often in broad daylight. Be on the lookout! 2. Install good video surveillance cameras in key locations. 3. Become familiar and use online media sites to facilitate communication with tenants. Sites such as a community Facebook page and Next Door can be useful tools. 4. Personally meet with a community outreach office who covers the area where your property is located. This officer will provide valuable information to deter theft. 5. Evaluate the exterior lighting at the property. More light is good! 6. Walk the property and identify any blind areas, such as overgrown landscaping. Cut back growth to minimize places to hide. 7. Care about your neighbors and work together. Be on the lookout at all times when entering and exiting the building, especially in parking garages. 8. Report, report, report any suspicious behavior. 9. Do not confront the suspect. One of the key things stressed was the idea of caring about your neighbor. I saw the importance of this in action recently when we encountered a drone hovering around our property. The drone appeared to be zooming in on the tenants, which alarmed us. We notified the police again and were informed to communicate the concern to the Federal Aviation Association, which works closely with emergency dispatchers, such as 911. I called some of the neighboring properties to inform them of this drone activity. I was not surprised to find out that the same kind of activity was taking place on their properties. As the police pointed out, caring about your neighbor is a tremendous step in diminishing criminal activity in any given area; we certainly are stronger together than being separated from one another. Unfortunately, we live in a world where people steal. However, rallying together and being a good neighbor are still elements that will benefit all of us. Positioning your property in such a way will help all managers stay calm, collected and cool when we will need it most … and, not coincidentally, on the golf course as well!