| You may be concerned about the rising crime | | | | emergency? |
| rate in your area and are considering buying a | | | | The best way to protect your apartment is by |
| home security system. However, you may | | | | installing a home security system. Remember that |
| question whether buying a full system is ideal for | | | | you're not necessarily protecting the building |
| a smaller area such as an apartment. Consider the | | | | (though most landlords are not even liable for |
| facts and speculations. | | | | building damages) but your valuables and the |
| The facts show that crime is rising. The National | | | | well-being of your household. If there is an |
| Crime Prevention Council shows that apartments | | | | intruder detected or if you manually sound the |
| are 85% more likely to be victimized by burglaries | | | | alarm, then you can speak to a live dispatcher |
| than traditional homes. Surprising, isn't it? How can | | | | who will alert local authorities to go to your |
| that be? It is probably because | | | | apartment and investigate the matter. This |
| apartment-dwellers don't buy a home security | | | | service will prove invaluable, as response time will |
| system in the first place. They assume that | | | | be instantaneous. |
| apartments are safer because they are smaller in | | | | Remember that even in relatively safe apartment |
| area and that the community will make sure that | | | | complexes, theft is always a possibility. The odds |
| crime is reported. (You know what they say | | | | of a landlord providing full security systems for |
| about people who assume...) | | | | every apartment are highly unlikely. It will be up to |
| Not a good idea, since burglars hear the same | | | | you to secure your home against criminal activity, |
| thing and thus take advantage of apartment | | | | fire, flooding, smoke and other potential threats. |
| dwellers that hope for the best only to find out | | | | You may wonder though, wouldn't a home |
| the worst. As an apartment renter you may be | | | | security system sounding its screeching siren be |
| burglarized by fellow tenants or targeted by local | | | | obnoxious to other tenants? Ordinarily, it would be. |
| criminals who know your complex to be of low | | | | However, remember that you can request that a |
| security. There have even been court cases | | | | high decibel alarm siren be disabled and opt for |
| involving apartment maintenance men who have | | | | quiet emergency communication. This way you |
| attacked tenants. While you hope that your | | | | can enjoy all the protection of a full home |
| apartment is one of the safer neighborhoods in | | | | security system but miniaturized and controlled |
| town, what do you do in the event of an | | | | for your apartment environment. |