My husband and I came home one night recently to find that lights were out on the back stairwell landings. As it turned out, the bulbs weren't just in need of replacement, they had been unscrewed. And a strange man was lurking around the back of our property who didn't belong to our building or the building just west of us that shares our driveway. Later, I found out that my retired neighbor on the 1st floor was in her house when she heard someone at the back and the light suddenly went out.
This was a very unsettling incident, and it put me on high security alert in our building. I notified all of the neighbors and reminded them that we need to make sure doors are closed and locked, and call police if we encounter anyone on the property who doesn't belong.
A recent robbery in a client building and gang graffiti on the wall of another client are further reminders that owners need to do as much as possible to secure their buildings and be vigilant about strangers on the property.
If you'd like to know more about how you can make your building more secure and deter break-ins, contact your local Alderman's office. They can put you in touch with an off-duty policeman who will come to your building to conduct a walk around, provide security tips and educate owners on building security.