If we want to stay ahead of
the criminal element, we must be able to deal with modern spins associated with
theft and vandalism.
It’s not just about the
burglar or vandal who lurks in night shadows awaiting victims. Nowadays,
thieves and vandals can deceive society by camouflaging themselves, blending
into an honest world. They might take the shape of a postman, plumber, gardener
or neighbour.
One of the hardest
perpetrators to apprehend is a “burglar within,” who vandalizes and steals from
resident neighbours.
I’m talking about a sick
individual in an apartment block or condo with revenge on their mind based on
payback for some strata council decision that didn’t strike his or her fancy.
This person could be a past
council member who has taken offence with how the new council is running the
building, or a person who didn’t agree with the outcome of a vote. This
hostility can turn the best-run condominium into a battlefield, creating
uncomfortable conditions for residents.
Catching this kind of
culprit is not easy. How do you lock out the bad guy when he lives in the
building? The locks you installed to keep out crooks are rendered useless
against this type of perpetrator.
You don’t have to be a
rocket scientist to figure out that you have an internal security problem. All
the signs are usually there—no forcible entry, frequency of theft or vandalism.
Knowledge of the building
layout becomes apparent when the crime seems well executed. After all, who
knows the building better than a resident? They know all the entry and exit
points as well as the pattern of residential traffic.
If you are experiencing
internal problems at your building, contact police and explain your situation,
making sure to ask about installing covert (hidden) cameras. You must find out
if you can legally install them without infringing on privacy laws. You don’t
want to subject your strata to legal action.
The next step would be to
contact a security professional for advice on dealing with the situation. If,
for example, the thief is entering areas like the boiler or elevator room to do
damage, there are ways to alter the locks to capture his key.
I recommend re-keying any
individual apartment that might be on a master key. A master key overrides all
individual apartment keys and allows entrance into individual suites. If you’re
not sure whether you are on the master key, re-key the lock to a new set of
keys. This eliminates the possibility of an old master key falling into the
wrong hands.
Frank Fourchalk is the owner
of White Rock Lock and Key. He is our local security expert. He may be
contacted at fourchalk@telus.net or
604-531-0715.