Preparing for Residence/ Building Safety During Civil UnrestScreen Shot 2020-09-17 at 2.17.38 PM.pngHow to Protect Your Property from ProtestersThe idea of protesting has been around for years. We’ve seen everything from peaceful protesters to violent riots. Although these events are not often, as a property manager, it’s always good to be prepared for events such as these. You never know when your property could be at risk. Here are a few ways to protect your property and tenants from such acts.
Build on Community Awareness and Communication
Reach out to your tenants as well as other neighboring areas of your community as early as possible and let them know that there may be some protesters in the area. Not everyone watches the news so your insight may be more valuable than you think. Approach everyone in a calm manner and politely inform them of that matter at hand. Let them know that you’re prepared to call the police if necessary and remind them to lock their doors and windows in case things get out of hand. The other importance of communicating with your tenants is that they may also have information that you are not aware of that can help you elaborate more in-depth with the next person you speak to.
Clean Up!
One of the best ways to prepare for potential protesters near your building is to make sure all valuable items are put away or locked in a safe place. The more items you have out; the higher risk you take in something getting damaged or stolen. Have your tenants park their cars in their garage or other safe parking areas. Make sure your mailboxes are emptied so that no important information goes missing. Put away anything of value such as a bicycle or children’s toys.
Set Up Proper Warning Signs
Since many protesters use signs to express how they feel, it wouldn’t hurt to create a few signs of your own. Place a couple of signs around your property saying “No Loitering” or “No Trespassing”. This may be a subtle approach but you never know – people may respect your wishes.
Security Cameras
Installing a few cameras around the main areas of your location can help identify what exactly happened and at what time. Although cameras can’t physically protect your property, they can still provide clear proof as to what happened and who did what. They can also capture important information like vehicle license plates, description details of an individual or any other valuable information.
Hire Security Guards
If you don’t already have property security, now may be a good time to look into it, even if it is only for a specific amount of time (like during an event or rally). The best part about hired security guards is that you’d have trained eyes protecting your property. You wouldn’t have to worry about any robotic alarms and triggered censors going off. The guards know exactly how to respond to any alerts and are solely focused on making sure your tenants and property are unharmed at all times.
While some may expect protesting to be peaceful, history has revealed how reckless and dangerous it can get. Be aware of your neighborhood news and be prepared for all levels of protesting. In case of an emergency, don’t hesitate to dial 911 or call your local police department.
Co-ops and Condos Must Act Fast to Protect Against Looters
June 4, 2020
As New York City is convulsed by protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, some co-op and condo boards are facing a problem that was unimaginable just a week ago: how to protect their street-level commercial spaces from looting and vandalism. There are smart precautions boards can take – but they need to move fast.
The obvious first step is boarding up windows and storefronts, but it’s not so simple. “If you don’t own the commercial space, you don’t have jurisdiction, so it requires coordination,” says Dawn Dickstein, president of MD2 Property Group, which manages several buildings that have been damaged. At one co-op near Union Square with a bodega and an eyeglass store, the board asked the owners to board up the businesses after the building’s super and a resident had to fend off looters one evening. But the owners didn’t respond. “We informed the board that even though they’re not responsible for the stores’ security, they could step in and take it on, which is something I recommend,” Dickstein says. “Safety comes first. You want to take action quickly to protect your property and residents.”
The board agreed, and she sent out a crew to do the job. But the street was blocked by police, and eventually the bodega was broken into and looted. “We managed to board them up after that and ensured that the owners had it all cleaned up,” says Dickstein, who is taking steps to make sure boards are communicating with the owners of their commercial spaces. “Managers should be working with boards and commercial owners to maintain a healthy building and property values and, if necessary, determining financial responsibility. Investing a couple thousand dollars now will save money down the line.”
That’s exactly what happened at a co-op in Soho with a street-level Amazon 4-star store. “They chose not to install protection at first, but after we reached out to them, they changed their mind,” says Paul Brensilber, president of Jordan Cooper, which manages the building. At properties where smaller commercial tenants haven’t been able to secure plywood and storefront replacement glass – both are in short supply – Brensilber has been hiring contractors to help them get the job done.
Whether a co-op or commercial tenant owns the space, looting is a covered cause of loss in most insurance policies. Even so, “boards should review their governing documents and leases to see who is responsible and what they are required to do, and then take necessary steps,” says Barbara Strauss, executive vice president at York International Agency.
For her part, Dickstein informed the board and the owner of the commercial space that management was going to proceed with boarding up the Union Square commercial space to protect the building, barring any objections. There were none.
From an insurance standpoint, protecting the building is a smart move, according to Michael Spain, president of Spain Agency, an insurance brokerage. “It’s incumbent on boards to use good judgment to protect their buildings, as well as prevent further damage after stores are looted,” he says. “No matter what, you want to show your insurer that you made your best efforts.”
As for protecting residential property, boards need to decide whether they want to put plywood over their lobby windows or install a security guard at the door. “That needs to be discussed with the managing agent,” Brensilber says. “So far, looters haven’t targeted lobbies. But with stores closed and vulnerable, there is the risk that damage to the commercial space could impact the residential.”
Security guards, Dickstein notes, can only act as a deterrent. “But they do give residents a sense of safety and show that steps are being taken to mitigate any damage,” she says. The bottom line for boards is that they be alert and in touch with management to ride out the current storm – and prepare for future ones. “It’s all uncharted territory,” Dickstein says. “But we’re up to the challenge.”
Letter to Mayor Lori Lightfoot
