Summertime is often a time for relaxation and taking it easy. But as we head into a new season, don’t let the lazy days of summer distract you from securing your property and home. Home and community security take vigilance and watchful eyes 365 days a year. Bad actors don’t take days off, and when it comes to protecting your home or association, you shouldn’t take time off either.

Ensuring safety and security in all types of communities requires a combination of proactive measures and advanced technology. Remember: keeping a community secure is the responsibility of everyone in the community. 

Here are five best practices to consider and better protect your community, your home, and your assets:

Thoroughly scan the property and look for potential security breaches and areas needing attention. 

Whether you’re the community association manager or a board member, you should set time aside to regularly walk the property—every inch of it. Do it together if you can! Take a notebook and pen to write down your observations, or note them in an app on your phone. Here are things to look for: broken fence lines, lighting that is out or blinking, motion-sensitive lighting functionality, bushes and shrubs that need trimming, dark places where a person might hide, security camera placement and operations, gates left open or not operating properly, any other barriers that have a security flaw, and adequate lighting for all common areas, pathways, and entry points to deter unwanted behavior. 

This assessment of your property should happen during the day and again when it’s dark. Your property will look different from day to night, and you’ll notice different areas that need to be addressed. 

A simple set of guidelines to keep in mind when reviewing your property and neighborhood are the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) recommendations. CPTED classifies the three primary categories to regularly evaluate in your community—mechanical, human, and natural. Following these guidelines ensures you address all technological security methods, methods that include humans on-site or remotely monitoring an area, and how landscaping is deterring or enabling criminal activity at your community.

Be sure to have the latest technology installed in your community to protect it. 

Gated or ungated, one pool or three, technology-based security solutions help simplify security for associations. This includes managing access at all entry points, doors, and gates for both residents and visitors to prevent unauthorized individuals from accessing the community or an area. From a management perspective, an advanced access control system employs a user-friendly interface to easily add or update authorized persons, manage times that an amenity can be accessed, and review analytics and logs should you need to. 

Often an effective access management system is combined with the latest in video surveillance systems for proactive monitoring that protects amenities and other assets. It’s this layered technology approach that is key to security coverage across the community that efficiently deters certain behaviors, responds to incidents, and provides evidence to review.

When your community needs to update security technology, make sure to work with an experienced provider who can analyze your association’s specific security concerns and the best options to resolve those issues.

Boards of directors should remind residents to carry out the following security practices:

Review the list of who is allowed onto the property. 

If you live in a gated community, you should do a review of your visitor list and make sure it is up-to-date. Remove any permanent guests or vendors who no longer need to regularly visit your property. Update the days and times other visitors are allowed if any of those details have changed. And, make sure your household contact information is current so that your community security provider knows how to reach you regarding unregistered guests at the entrance(s). 

Property managers and community staff should also reevaluate the community list of approved guests and vendors. This means updating and/or removing any community vendors that don’t service the association anymore as well as adding those that do. 

Prepare your home for when you plan to be away. 

If you have any last summer trips or upcoming vacations planned, remember that preparation goes beyond packing your suitcase. 

Here are several items to add to your checklist: Have your mail put on hold if you’re going to be away for a while. You can do this at the local post office or online at www.usps.com. Stop or put on hold everyday deliveries and arrange to have someone pick up any packages that may be delivered while you’re away. Nothing says “no one is home” more than boxes piled up outside your door. Monitor your front door with a camera and watch for unexpected comings and goings. Double check your windows and doors are locked properly before you leave. And, only tell the necessary contacts when you plan to be away. This also means not posting messages or pictures on social media about your trip until you are safely back home. 

All of these tips and more will help protect your property, but don’t forget to offer to help your neighbors when they’re going to be gone for an extended period. Remember that it takes a community and protecting their property is also protecting yours.

Be vigilant. 

Promptly report any suspicious activities to the authorities and share relevant information with neighbors and property management. If your community is regularly experiencing trespassing in a specific area or vandalism at an amenity, your community board and manager can work to find a solution that prevents the issue from continuing. And don’t forget to keep a list of emergency contacts, including local police, fire departments, and community security personnel.

By implementing these five security practices, you can enhance the safety in your community and your peace of mind this season and moving forward. Keep in mind, effective community security isn’t something that’s done once; it’s necessary to review, evaluate, and always be aware of around the neighborhood. Keeping this posture and perspective will help you as a homeowner, board member, or community manager stay prepared and take the best care of the property. 

View this article in the FLCAJ August 2024 issue here.

Nathan Varn is the vice president of sales and marketing for Envera Systems. He manages the sales, sales support, marketing, and account management teams while working closely with all of Envera’s departments to provide information, education, and best-in-class service for the communities that Envera secures. Envera Systems is an all-inclusive security provider that focuses on the unique needs of communities through technology-based solutions. Using trained virtual guards, Envera is able to verify visitors at entrances, monitor video, manage community databases, and more. Contact Envera at 855-380-1274 or www.EnveraSystems.com.