∗ CHECK OUT YOUR APARTMENT

Does Your….

* Entry door have a deadbolt lock and peephole?
* Sliding glass door has a wooden rod in the track so it can’t be opened and pins in the overhead frame so it can’t be lifted out?
* Landlord or building manager tightly control all keys?

For extra security, leave a radio playing or a light on while you are gone. Always tell neighbors and the building manager when you leave for a business trip or vacation.


∗ CHECK OUT YOUR BUILDING

* Is there some kind of control over who enters and leaves the building?
* Are walkways, entrances, parking areas, elevators, hallways, stairways, laundry rooms, and storage areas well-lighted 24 hours a day?
* Are fire stairs locked from the stairwell side above the ground floor so that you may exit but no one may enter?
* Are mailboxes in a well, traveled, well-lighted area and do they have adequate locks?
* Are things well-maintained (are burnt-out lights fixed properly, shrubs trimmed, trash and snow removed)?

∗ CHECK OUT THE NEIGHBORS

* Get to know your neighbors. Join or organize an Apartment Watch Group so neighbors can look out for and help each other.
* If you live in a large building or complex, think about a tenant patrol that watches for crime around the building, provides escort services for the elderly and handicapped, and monitors comings and goings in the lobby.
* Work with landlords to sponsor social events for tenants—a Sunday breakfast, a picnic, a Halloween party.
* Look beyond problems to root causes—does your building need a better playground, a social evening for teens, a tenant association, new landscaping, a basketball hoop? Work with the landlord for changes that makes everyone proud of where they live.