Page 10 - NY Cooperator December 2020

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It’s one thing for an have changed some policies and procedures association board to support a watch program; in response to COVID concerns and regional it’s quite another for the board to assume re- mandates, which has had trickle-down impli- cations for residential security staff . Donning PPE, asking visitors and contractors health ties of a board-sponsored watch program— questions, monitoring capacity and distancing which might even be forbidden by the associa- in common areas—these were not usually part tion’s governing documents or by local laws or of a residential security unit’s duties prior to regulations—consultation with the local law March 2020, but now they are daily routines. And not an interview goes by with a multi- family building professional that the issue of de- liveries doesn’t come up. Ferdinando explains formal action taken by residents of the asso- that residents who choose (or are required, in ciation. the case of those quarantining) to stay home are not only receiving meals, groceries, and ciation’s board can take unilaterally to enhance orders from on- line retailers, but are also receiv- ing documents, medical sup- plies, and other items related to their jobs or schools as they continue to work and learn remotely. Th e “tremen- dous amount of deliveries” makes the day extremely busy for security and hiring trained personnel to staff commu- and other front-of-house personnel, says Fer- dinando—especially during business hours, time, and they don’t come with the potential when there is increased activity in general. It drawbacks of a watch program. also creates safety and security hazards when packages pile up in lobbies, hallways, and other common areas. In high-rises, delivering to apartment doors or even just to each fl oor takes up elevator capacity—already limited by COVID requirements in most cases—and in- creases potential exposure points for workers. Package “staging” in lobbies, vestibules, and other areas can create logjams that potentially compromise emergency egress and accessibil- ity. In addition to all that, piles of unattended packages are a beacon for thieves and van- dals—an issue that will only become worse as the holidays approach. There Goes the Neighborhood Indeed, package theft has become a nation- wide problem for all kinds of housing, both as possible for the sake of lowering the con- single-family and multifamily alike. Associa- tions where homes are more spaced-out than and less delicious. in, say, New York or Chicago have proposed or initiated neighborhood watch programs, tential to create safety and security risks as says the Community Associations Institute bad actors seek to take advantage of the cri- (CAI), an international resource for all kinds sis. In addition to the aforementioned pack- of homeowners associations and cooperatives. age problem brought on by the ease in which According to a CAI media release on the mat- ter, however, the organization cautions against to our doorstep with a few clicks, there is also board-initiated or -implemented programs of the constant risk of online theft and secu- this nature, explaining that for reasons of li- ability and to avoid wading into legally murky home without the robust fi rewalls or network waters, an association itself should not “create, protections that might exist in their offi ces. manage, or formally endorse a neighborhood watch program.” “In fact,” writes Amy Repke, vice president of communications for CAI, “most associa- tion experts believe watch programs should be organized and managed by residents inde- sponsibility for the activity.” To avoid potential legal and ethical liabili- enforcement, the association’s legal counsel, and an insurance specialist with community association experience should precede any Repke goes on to suggest steps that an asso- security and safety in the community: “pro- viding safety guidance to residents; creating phone trees or text and email alerts; inviting law enforcement authorities to speak to residents about home security; installing adequate common-area lighting; incorporating safety and security into land- scape design; upgrading locks and gate access; nity entrance gates.” Th ese are good ideas any Security Enhanced—and Challenged—by New Technology In many ways, the way the world has coped with this unprecedented crisis has been shaped by the technology that exists today. Among countless others, apps like Zoom, the Google Suite, and Microsoft Teams allow busi- nesses and schools to run remotely; Amazon, Fresh Direct, and Peapod keep cupboards and refrigerators stocked without residents leaving home; Grubhub, UberEats, and Seamless of- fer contactless food delivery; and Facebook, Whatsapp, and YouTube provide distant social interaction, fi tness, hobbies, and entertain- ment. Without these very recent innovations, our extended period of staying home as much tagion curve would be much harder, lonelier, But those same technologies have the po- we can have anything in the world delivered rity breaches as remote employees work from EXAMINING... continued from page 1 “A lot of the clients have pushed up their projects, to upgrade their technology that they were already going to do anyway.” —Joseph Ferdinando