Holiday Security Tips for Your Texas High-Rise

The holiday season is here! Many of us will be traveling to see loved ones, moving to warmer weather during the winter months, or hosting numerous guests and family members going in and out. Unfortunately, these factors can attract opportunistic invaders, especially if there are no procedures in place to track all visitors and deliveries in the building.  

In fact, high-rise buildings have an exponential increase in security risks during holidays. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, there were 633,967 property-crime incidents reported in Texas in 2021. See below a brief list of holiday security tips so your building is not another statistic. 
 

How do I keep my building safe during the holidays? 

• Immediately report malfunctions for locks on any exterior doors to the community manager. Building security and mitigating potential losses are considered an emergency.  

• If building security is compromised, call management after-hours. 

• Obviously, call 911 first if the situation calls for police intervention.  

• Light, clean, and secure common areas of the building. These areas are safer when they’re well-kept and more likely to deter criminals.  

• Always lock your condo door, even when you’re in the unit itself. Check the peephole before opening the door for anyone.  

• Ensure adequate locks on any windows. 

• Use a light timer when you’re away on vacation to give the appearance your unit is occupied. 

• Notify management of the time frame your unit will be vacant if you’ll be gone for a long period of time.  

• If you see something, say something. Don’t shrug off anything that looks suspicious. Immediately report it to building security or your community manager.  

• Set clear package procedures to deter losses. Every high-rise condo’s front desk should store packages in a locked, secure place.  

• At FirstService Residential properties, our door staff members log all parcels within FirstService Residential Connect™. They track every movement of each package, as well as who checked it in and out. 

• Don’t be lax about building security rules. They’re in place for the safety and security of every community member. Reminders: 

• All building visitors should be tracked and logged.  

• All building contractors should provide their information to management to verify all insurance and license requirements.  

Maintaining a secure building includes taking year-round precautions, too. For example, have a solid plan in place for fire prevention and flood preparation that’s always available for residents and management to review.  

The only way to maintain a secure community is for all residents to get involved. Regular reminders of these security tips encourage us to work together so we can all enjoy a fun, safe holiday season.  

To learn more about creating safe environments, contact FirstService Residential, the leading community association management company in Texas.