Estate Living Magazine Smart Moves - Issue 38 February 2019 | Seite 45

C O M M U N I T Y
L I V I N G
When crime in a community association is real and increases in
frequency, a board of directors will often take a look at its own efforts
and response and determine if additional action is necessary. A
community’s response to crime can be assessed in several steps. To
identify and measure a community’s response to crime, four basic
questions may be asked:
• What is the community doing to prevent crime?
• How does perceived crime influence the community’s crime-
prevention efforts?
• Is the crime response successful?
• What are the side effects of the community’s crime prevention
activities? • Ultimately, the best goal of any security system is to deter criminal
activity. This is best achieved by striking a balance between high
visibility and customer service.
• A successful security solution within a community is built upon
clear, two-way communication. Expectations are best managed
when the security team knows exactly what the community
expects, and when the community knows what the security team
can legally deliver.
• Part of the defined objectives should clearly address what
expectations there are for any ‘first responder’ duties. If life safety
is part of the responsibility, the initial and ongoing training should
have been planned into the contract and scheduled.
Developer considerations The selection of the security provider involves evaluating a number
of factors. Associations that make the decision solely on price often
find themselves dissatisfied with the service and end up moving
from company to company. So it is important that the board takes
into account what is expected, and what can be delivered.
Developers often construct community associations with a wide
variety of amenities that are designed to entice potential owners
to invest in their associations. Gated communities are a perfect
example. Many developers recognise that gated communities can
command higher home prices and sell units faster than non-gated
communities. A lower-quality gate system may operate reasonably
well in the community’s initial stages of development but, at some
point, the developer must decide if and how to increase security.
Security services
Many estates outsource the security function to dedicated security
services. This has many advantages, but also some constraints, and
the role a contract security firm plays when providing security at a
community association is often misunderstood.
• Legally, there are many limitations to what actions a security
officer can take – whether armed or unarmed. The legal powers
of a security officer are usually limited to those of a private citizen
– not those of a police officer.
• At the heart of a security service’s scope is the phrase ‘observe
and report’ – make proper observation of, and accurately and
speedily report, any criminal activity.
Elements of the security system
Community security is not a one-size-fits-all venture. What may work
for high-density clusters may not necessarily meet the needs of
residents in a large-scale, planned community, but most will include
the same elements.
O
Alarm systems can be broken down into two categories – perimeter
and residential.
• Perimeter detection system allows the perimeter of the community
to be electronically monitored from a centralised location. As
an intruder crosses the perimeter line, an alarm is activated. The
alarm notifies the security guards or police of the location of the
breech so that they can dispatch the roving patrol to investigate.
• Even in secure estates, all residents should be encouraged to
have security systems for their homes. With a young community
it is easier for the association to establish a security system
requirement policy.
Video surveillance systems usually consist of CCTV (closed-circuit
television) cameras, cabling, recording devices and monitoring
devices. These are most commonly used at the entry and exit gates
– usually with number plate recognition – and at the perimeter
fencing. When designing a surveillance system, a few questions
need to be addressed.
• What is the camera going to watch?
• When is the camera going to be used?
• How are the cameras going to be connected?
• How much ambient light is available?
• Where is the camera output going to go?
• Does the camera need to have PTZ (pan, tilt, zoom) control?
• How are the surveillance cameras recorded?