If you have spent the past several years in an apartment building in Los Angeles recently, you’ve probably witnessed a new phenomenon at the front door: the hordes of senior executives.You may have noticed that something new has been going on at the front door in your apartment building in Los Angeles over the last few years: the crowd of senior executives. Security guards apartment complex Los Angeles are no longer nice to have, but a must for many apartment complexes.
Here’s why. Over the past few years, LA’s apartment scene has been growing more crowded. Once they were simple to navigate, they have become home to hundreds of people, deliveries, dog walkers and guests from all over the day, and contractors too. It has been more difficult to keep track of who belongs and who doesn’t. This is the true reason why property managers are putting guards on the front door to manage who can enter.
Why Lobby Access Has Become Such a Big Deal
Ten years ago there was a time when many mid-sized apartment complexes managed to survive with a keycard system and possibly a camera or two. This worked well with smaller and quieter buildings. However, when living in high density, the numbers are all different.
Consider a building with 200 units. Even though they are supposed to be private property, it appears that the lobbies in dense buildings are akin to semi-public areas in the hustle and bustle of peak hour.
Keycards and buzzer systems are effective at one thing – checking if there is a correct keycard or buzzer. They’re poor at catching the guy who sneaks around the back of a resident who is holding the door, or the individual who buzzes the wrong unit and is then let in without question. There, where a human being is there, truly listening, there’s a difference that technology can’t do.
More People, More Traffic, More Blind Spots
Many large complexes also share gyms and pools. All those spaces draw more traffic to common areas. And every one of those visitors is an opportunity for a target who’s not a part of the club to “go under the radar. Point is, every one of those visitors is an opportunity for a target that isn’t a member and isn’t going to notice you.
Frequently working in a building causes security guards apartment complex Los Angeles to begin to see faces. They know the residents, frequent visitors, and who looks out of place. This familiarity comes with time and a camera feed just can’t replicate that. The action is captured in a video. A guard can actually prevent an occurrence.
Package Theft and the Tailgating Problem
When anyone is asked what they find the biggest pain in their backs when they’re working on their property, package theft is bound to be mentioned. Mailroom and lobby package areas are high-risk targets, as so much of everyday life is being managed via the internet. Residents have no intention of causing a problem, they’re just holding the door.
Security guards apartment complex Los Angeles buildings are called on to handle all of the sorts of common risks. If a guard stands by a door, it is obvious that he will discourage the door propping and the allowing of strangers through. It’s a minor detail, but a significant gap in building security gets closed.
How Guards Actually Control Lobby Access
The majority of the work involves sustained focus. Over time, guards get to know residents, and that actually helps to move things along, regulars are not constantly being stopped and questioned by the guards.
If a stranger shows up, guards will ask who, because they don’t know the person, and what the person wants. If someone is going to be there, they can call up to verify or the resident can buzz them in. Polite guards are good guards.
Watching for Tailgating
Guards monitor the door and not only who is talking to them during busy hours. When a resident is not expecting a visitor to arrive, a guard may approach and ask a simple question should the person try to sneak up on a resident. Usually this is sufficient to prevent it from happening. It’s when someone refuses to explain to him or herself that things get “escalated”, a call to the building management, or even the police, in a worse case scenario.
Keeping an Eye on Packages and Common Areas
Theft of packages noticeably decreases when someone is in the delivery area. The guards also conduct routine inspections of gyms, lounges and mailrooms, particularly as packages build up in less populated areas. Add security cameras and it’s a lot more difficult for a thief to get around.
Guard’s other advantage is that they tend to see the little things that the management may not: a broken lock, a door that fails to latch properly, a light that is burned out near a side entrance. All of this makes the building safer which is not the case in the lobby alone.
What Kind of Security Coverage Makes Sense
The setup does not need to be the same for all buildings. It depends on the size, location and traffic volume of the building.
Armed vs. unarmed
Sometimes larger complexes or complexes with a significant track record of incidents are accompanied by armed guards. Most of the time, smaller buildings in lower-risk areas are just fine with unarmed guards, which are still provided thorough training in de-escalation and conflict resolution. Armed guards only have to take an additional certification on top of that.
Who’s at the front desk, who’s roving. A guard at the front desk remains at the front door, and picks up all visitors who enter through the main entrance. A foot patrol is used to roam the building, looking for anything the front desk can’t see, such as hallways, parking garages and stairwells. Bigger complexes tend to use both, as one doesn’t fit the bill.
Daytime vs. overnight
If the building is only open during the workday, mornings and evenings or during the weekend, only certain hours of the day need to be covered. Other, particularly larger complexes or those in higher-risk areas, appreciate a person during the night as well. It really depends on the timing of the incidents, which can be determined from previous reports, by a property manager.
Why This Actually Pays Off for Property Managers
It affects their attitudes towards the building and that is an economic reality. Reduced burglars and reduced theft. A visible guard is a guard that can be seen and is a deterrent on its own. With guards in place, fewer incidents occur and when they do, response time is much quicker, as someone is likely to be there.
Quick response to problems
A medical incident or a security concern, anything can happen, and there’s nothing like having someone there to handle it compared to waiting for law enforcement that could be 20 minutes away. Guards may communicate directly with first responders, which expedites the process even more.
Satisfied residents that remain
It’s the thing that property managers are most interested in, quite honestly. Said to be safe, residents renew leases. They share their opinion with their friends that this building is a good building. Tenants who view a building notice when there’s a guard at the door, and it’s a true amenity, not “just another expense.
Choosing a Security Company That Actually Fits Your Building
Not every security company is the same and choosing the wrong one can result in the paperwork of compliance, but not the protection. A few points to bear in mind:
Ensure that the company’s guards are licensed according to California’s regulations. This is not a matter of choice, if it goes wrong, it can result in the property owner having real liability.
Find a company that has done it in residential structures, not just office parks or retail. Guards who are adept at apartment living know how to live up to the residents’ right to privacy while maintaining a sharp focus, generally perform better than generalists.
Inquire about their reporting
Many security firms today provide digital log books and incident reports, making it a lot easier for management to watch for trends and to take prompt action.
FAQs
What’s the point of having lobby security guards in LA apartment buildings?
More people, more deliveries, more people coming and going — it’s just more difficult to keep track of who belongs. In addition to keycards and cameras, guards are used to ensure that the devices are not able to capture everything.
What is the price of apartment security guards in Los Angeles?
This will depend on the type of guard and the number of hours you require to be covered. Round-the-clock shifts are more expensive than day shifts or evening shifts.
Does a guard make the lobby feel less friendly?
If they are good at the job then not. It helps people feel more at ease around them, when they have a friendly guard who is familiar with the residents’ names.
What kind of training do these guards need?
Training in minimum state required and preferably some training specific to visitor management for residential buildings.
Conclusion
One of the top security issues with a high-rise LA apartment complex is access to the lobby.Lobby access is one of the most critical security concerns in dense LA apartment complexes which is not surprising. security guards apartment complex Los Angeles owners are addressing an issue keycards simply can’t solve, determining who belongs and who doesn’t.
Whether it’s having an apartment guard on-site or an apartment guard on call during the night, Sharp Guard Group is working with apartment complexes throughout the City of LA to ensure they have the proper coverage. When it becomes harder to maintain your building’s lobby, it may be time to have that conversation.