EPS receives many calls for service every month regarding people gaining access to apartment buildings and committing criminal acts. Apartment and condominium buildings are typically secure and safe. However, here are some helpful tips to ensure the security and safety of your apartment and apartment building:

• Do not prop exit doors open. These doors are designed to stay closed for security and fire safety. Also, make sure that a door latches properly after you have exited it.
• Do not hold the door for a stranger to enter. Be wary of strangers who linger around the front door and dash to hold the door open after it has been unlocked.
• Never buzz anyone that you are not expecting into the building. If you have to go to the door to see if you want to let the person in then do so.
• Make sure the locks on all doors leading into your apartment have been changed since the last tenant was living there.
• Apartment doors should all have peephole viewers. If you don’t have one, ask your landlord to install one.
• Stay alert when entering your apartment. Don’t talk on your cell phone or look preoccupied when walking toward your building.
• Criminals look for a weak target and are more likely to pass up someone who appears focused, aware, and strong.
• Report bad lighting or overgrown shrubbery to your landlord. You are never being too picky when it comes to your safety.
• Inventory the description, serial number, and cost of your valuables. Keep a copy of your records online, in a fireproof locked box or in a safety deposit box in a bank. Take pictures of your most valuable items and attach those to your receipts to make any insurance claims run as smoothly as possible.
• Keep a broom handle or other long stick in the track of sliding glass doors. This may deter a break in.

Elevator Safety:

• Look to see who is in the elevator before entering. Do not ride with a stranger.
• When in the elevator stand beside the control panel and know where the emergency alarm button is.
• If a suspicious person enters the elevator, exit before the door closes.
• DO NOT enter the elevator if you do not feel comfortable. Wait for the next one.

Parking Garage Safety:

• Pay attention to your surroundings especially as you enter or exit the garage whether on foot or in your vehicle.
• Lock your car after entering and when leaving it.
• Remove all valuables, even small amounts of change.
• Watch for people who use the ramp to enter the garage on foot once you have cleared the opening or vehicles “shadowing” behind you to enter. Make sure they are residents and belong there.

_Cst. Wasmuth can be reached at darren.wasmuth@edmontonpolice.ca