The digital revolution has given us many wonderful things — and one of those things is the ability to shop for gifts online during the holidays. Rather than fight enormous crowds in department stores, many people decide to do their shopping from home, letting Amazon or some other website handle the wrapping, packaging and sending of gifts.
The problem, of course, is making sure those gifts arrive in the hands of those for whom they are intended. This can be especially challenging in a large apartment building, as delivery people will often be tempted to simply leave packages in the vestibule, confident that the correct owner will retrieve the package, or indifferent to whether or not they do.
Of course, things do not always work that way. Someone may slip in from outside behind a legal resident to grab a package they see, or some less scrupulous tenant in the building may decide to help themselves to someone else’s gift. Preventing your packages from being stolen is definitely an issue around the holidays.
How to Prevent Package Theft in a Large Apartment Building
If you own or manage a large apartment building, you should give serious consideration to how to prevent your packages from being stolen. If tenants are constantly losing their holiday packages, it will not reflect well on you or your management abilities, and you could lose tenants. In that spirit, here are some ideas for how to deter package theft.
Hire a Doorman
Hiring a doorman for your building is not cheap, but it could pay great dividends. You will always have someone to take delivery of packages and your tenants will feel safer. Your building will have more appeal and you may be able to charge higher rent to defray the cost of the doorman. You might even consider just hiring someone on a temporary basis to get you through the holidays, when package deliveries are high.
Alert the Tenants
Let the tenants know that thefts of packages have occurred and that incidences of theft may increase around the holidays. Instruct tenants who are expecting packages that they should check the mail area frequently and pick up their packages as soon as they learn they have arrived.
Many online retail sites offer alerts to text you when a package is on its way or has arrived, and tenants should take advantage of this. They should also be encouraged to take advantage of designated drop-off points like Amazon Lockers, where they get their own code to a locker where their package is securely stored for pickup.
Note: It’s important to let your tenants know that if they see someone taking someone else’s package, they should make a note of it and inform the building manager as soon as possible. They should not try to intervene, as this could put them in danger.
Video Camera Surveillance
One of the best ways to protect your tenants from holiday package theft or any kind of theft, as well as from robbery, assault or other crimes, is by setting up high-definition, clearly visible video cameras in the front of your building and the vestibule. Having a reliable video camera system is like having a watchful eye on all your tenants as they walk into the building, as well as over their packages.
With video cameras, your tenants will enjoy the peace of mind of knowing they are protected from harm. With a good video surveillance system, if someone should make off with a package, you will always have access to cloud-stored, recorded footage of the incident to help you track down the perpetrator quickly and retrieve the stolen goods.
If your video surveillance system is connected to 24/7 monitoring, you can make sure you and the proper authorities are notified immediately should someone attempt to steal a package, as well as if someone attempts any other crime in your building, allowing a fast response and an even lower likelihood of the criminal being successful.
Take Action to Protect Your Building Now
You don’t need to wait until the holiday season to take steps to protect your building and its tenants. You can implement these suggestions at any time. If your apartment is located in the New England area, Wayne Alarm Systems can set you up with an effective and affordable crime detection and prevention system, including high-quality video camera surveillance, 24/7 Five Diamond monitoring, access control systems, burglar alarms and more.
To find out how, or for more theft and crime prevention tips, contact Wayne Alarm Systems at 781-595-000 or get in touch with us online today.
