A property must consider the various components of their security plan (yes...you do have one) as part of the whole. In other words, courtesy officers cannot be THE security plan.

The overriding purpose for having a plan (should be in writing) is to provide a defense to litigation in the event you get sued. There are no national standards as to what a security plan looks like or employs so the "standard" becomes whatever you do or do not have in place. The legal test is whether those actions are deemed "reasonable" in light of the property's current security issues. The difficulty is knowing what is needed to meet that reasonable standard. Doing nothing is not reasonable unless you live on an island and all tenants live the life of the pope.

Courtesy officers can be an excellent tool but they are rarely managed properly due to lack of accountability. Are they really doing the things you have contracted them to do? If a property manager cannot answer that question with 99.9% certainty then the communications process needs to be reviewed.

Check here for information on courtesy officer management: lptoday.com/security-articles/

Crime is an equal opportunity offender (no pun intended with crime and fair housing)....

If you have a courtesy officer, I would have him provide a flyer to post door to door that explains who his team is, and what they do for the community. Mine not only was hired to control and minimize criminal activity on/near the property and as a former law enforcement professional, has the skills and contacts with local law enforcement to tap into when needed; he also patrols the property to identify and document lease violations (excessive stuff/additional occupants and aids in identifying them), as well as any safety and lighting issues after hours. I had mine create a flyer from the mindset of 'help me do a better job for you' and got great response.

He also creates regular safety and security tips for the newsletter and facebook page.

If you are wondering what placement you should have for video cameras; every property is unique, but I would suggest the following:

1) Office door/rent drop; as well as every entrance to the office/community building to monitor entries and exits.
2) Laundry facilities: if you have them, there was a news story here where people are actually stealing whole appliances for access to the coin boxes and recyclable materials.
3) Pool/fitness room for safety.
4) Multiple angles on all parking areas.
5) Mailboxes; if you have these in an enclosure of some sort, you can post a laundry card recharge station and other vending machines there as well, so long as they are under video surveillance.

I run a courtesy patrol service called Signal 88 security- Boise and I am a Multi-family Security Expert. Each property will have its own unique needs and situations. Pools and Hot Tubs can be highly problematic in the summer because of trespassing and issues that can occur once the manager has left for the evening. Having a camera to record events can be very nice especially when you get calls at home regarding late night pool issues. In most newer systems you have the ability to view the cameras from a smart phone, Ipad or your home computer. This can help you as a manager avoid walking into a bad situation if you are the person responsible for after hours response.

A courtesy patrol might be a good idea as well. You can't be everywhere and having some eyes on the property after-hours can be a huge help. Also having a third party response to noise issues helps provide the management with a added level of transparency if they ever have to issue a lease violation or appear in court for an eviction that results from documents lease violations. Not all patrol services are equal, an you get what you pay for in many instances. I would suggest checking references, local and state licensing, Insurance coverage levels and ask to see their patrol cars? If thy look like a low budget operation they probably can't be trusted to protect your property effectively.

While this type of service can seem like an expense, it can actually improve your bottom lines. My clients found that their occupancy near the pool area's improved and had much less turnover. Also female renters like having this type of service because security is a higher concern for them. Having someone that can respond quickly to a noise issue will also raise the satisfaction level of tenants and having a third party verify lease violations allows a manager to charge for those violations with fewer disputes.

Using good contracts will help you to keep your property safe. The Crime Free Lease Addendum has held up in court around the country and might be a good addition to your lease agreement. www.crime-free-association.org/lease_addendums_az_english.htm

Each property is different and this isn't legal advice. I do hope this helps you keep your properties safe and secure.

There is a company out of St. Louis I know of that just does video surveillance for apartment complexes. They are members of the local St. Louis Apt Assoc (Watchtower Security). They do everything including reviewing the video as a full service monthly for clients.

Just adding my two cents. They would probably know answers to some of these questions. I'd go to the source.

When you say "other areas" what exactly does that entail? Any part of the property that you have control over is "yours" whether you have cameras or not. Camera installers should stick to connecting wires.

At my site we only have cameras in our clubhouse and office. We are not liable for any other areas. Isn't this the norm? This is what I always thought and was advised on from our security installers. Otherwise, isn't it a liability?