Recently Our Team Had To Intervene As Trespassers Attempted To Enter The Tower Through The Service Elevators

Unfortunately, they entered through the mall and followed residents who had a fob. Thank goodness our team observed what happened via surveillance, recognized the trespassers and security stopped them before they made it onto the elevator. This should make us all feel a little more secure, because they were stopped. However that they so easily made it through by following others is a cause for collective vigilance.

NEXT TIME, the staff may not be able to catch such situations. It’s just impossible to have eyes on all the cameras 24/7. So we are using this as an opportunity to share insight and information all owners and residents can keep in mind to help improve Park Tower’s security:

1. Stop “tailgaters”, that is, people you do not know who follow you in secured doorways. If you run your fob at a door anywhere in the building, it is a secured doorway and only folks with fobs or your guests should be going through the door with you. If you do not know someone following you in, do not feel obligated to let them proceed. ASK if they are a neighbor and have a fob. AND LIKEWISE – anyone tailgating, have your fob out, and be understanding if someone wants to confirm you’re a neighbor; it is fair and reasonable. It’s for everyone’s comfort and security.

Certainly, none of us are bouncers, including the staff. No one should try to PHYSICALLY bar anyone. But if someone proceeds anyway, report it to the staff and our team will take over from there, even if it is to review surveillance after the fact.

2. Don’t be offended if the staff stops you,  and requests you identify yourself. It’s not unusual to hear an employee was screamed at and told, “I’ve lived here for 20 years, you should know me by know….”. This is security we are talking about so the staff should not be expected to roll out the red carpet if they don’t recognize you. Security is job number 1. Not everyone knows you and we do have new employees, so it is reasonable to expect you’ll be stopped on occasion.

3. Keep your unit entry doors closed and locked at all times, and do not open for anyone you do not know or who is not appropriately identified to you (such as maintenance conducting a work order). And don’t hesitate to call 911 if someone you do not know or are otherwise not expecting is banging on your door. This is a better approach actually than call the staff in such a moment, just in case it is someone with ill intent. You can follow up with a call to the front desk to inform them police are in route and why. 773-769-3083

4. Report any suspicious persons or behavior with as little delay possible. Anything the slightest bit odd or out of place should be looked into. Depending on the nature of the situation, the staff can respond if you contact the front desk at 773-769-3083. If you feel the situation warrants the involvement of the authorities, it is better to be safe than sorry, so call 911.

5. When entering and exiting the garage, be aware of your surroundings including individuals that may be entering on the sly through the garage doors. If you see someone walking in as you drive in, or after you exit, please report it to the front desk, 773-769-3083. They will coordinate with Security and the Garage Office to investigate immediately.

6. Fobs are automatically set to expire, as a purposefully built in extra layer of security. For Owners they expire every 3 years and for renters, 1 year. There are several reasons, but I think the simplest way to explain is to say that every now and then an unknown individual stops in and says there fob does not work. Typically, this is someone who’s moved in under the radar, and has not been registered. If your fob stops working, DON’T PANIC. The best way to address this is to stop by the office if you can, just in case it is not the expiration and we do need to replace it. But either way it is a quick fix. You can also troubleshoot by reaching out by phone or e-mail, 773-769-3250 or parktowercondo-mgmt@habitat.com.

Keeping these points in mind, working together with your neighbors and staff, we can keep the Park Tower community as safe as possible. Each person and eye on events and surroundings is a valuable resource in this regard.

Also, never hesitate to contact us with any questions, concerns or suggestions you may have about safety and security. Send the office an e-mail anytime.