Home Security in a High-Rise Apartment

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This post is originally authored at the home security blog at FamilyHomeSecurity.com.

Living in the city definitely has its benefits. Many city residents live close to where they work, and are able to use public transportation. Want to see a movie? Odds are, there’s a movie theater right down the next street. Feel like shopping? Most cities have a variety of diverse and interesting venues for a great shopping experience.

However, if you do live in the city, odds are that you live in a high rise apartment building. The population density in major cities means that more cities are building high-rise apartments to keep up with population growth. For example, in Los Angeles, there are 2,750 people per square kilometer!

Though high rise apartments may have security measures, you should still make an effort to make sure that your building is secure. Here are a few security tips that can help you protect your apartment in a high-rise apartment building.

Checking the Fire Escape
When you move into a high-rise apartment building, be sure to note the location of your building’s fire safety escape. Some buildings only allow roof access to the fire escape stairwell, while others will have an entry point to the fire escape on each floor. Make sure your building’s fire escape is properly maintained, and doesn’t represent a security threat. For example, some burglars will use the fire escape to access apartments in a high rise apartment building.

Entry Points
When addressing issues relating to security, it’s essential that you evaluate any entry points that provide access to your residence. However, this is a bit more complex when you live in a high rise apartment building. Instead of classic home entry points (front door, ground-floor windows, garage, etc), you need to consider all entry points to be vulnerable. In many high rise apartment buildings, the main entry point is the front door (which may be the only way to enter the residence).

Burglary Statistics
The statistics for burglaries in high rise apartment buildings are based mostly on vague crime studies, but they’re still interesting enough to note. One study suggested that when a break-in occurs in a high rise apartment building, there may be as much as a 70% chance that the burglar also lives in the same building. Another study cited that a burglary may be committed by an employee working in the apartment building, such as a doorman or security officer. The reason for this is that these people become familiar with the schedules of the tenants living in the building, and may use this knowledge to commit a crime.

Assessing Stairways
The company that owns your high-rise apartment building should have security measures in place to track any undesirable activity within the building. For example, many buildings have security cameras that film stairways and elevators. Check with the security officers in your apartment building, to see if they have security measures that cover these areas.

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