Intercom, monitoring system, or a dog – can they help prevent break-ins?
One of the reasons why living in a block of flats is increasing in popularity is the sense of security which it evokes in most people. There are many people who live in a block of flats who claim that they are less exposed to dangers such as break-ins or theft of valuables. Intercom at the entrance to the building, other apartments being near, or increasingly popular monitoring systems installed in common areas can lull most residents into a sense of security. However, this sense of security is largely just an illusion as people are not aware of all the risks at play.
Intercom is not an obstacle at all
A lot of people are convinced that intercom is the best barrier to guard them against unwelcome visitors. Still, there are many simple ways of overcoming this obstacle to enter the building untroubled. Most of the residents open the entry door without checking at all who is coming or they do it because the person who wants to enter says they are delivering mail or advertisement brochures. In practice, this means that virtually anyone can enter the common areas of the building, which can potentially lead to dangerous situations. Burglars can also use a police code to attempt to enter the building.
Being friends with neighbours is not enough...
It should come as no surprise that people are trying to establish good relations with their neighbours. It is a simple way of ensuring greater security for the apartment and the valuables inside. It is a common conviction that an alert and vigilant neighbour is the best security measure against a robbery attempt. Neighbours can pick up on the alarming sounds or behaviours and prevent the burglar from breaking into a flat. Unfortunately, professional burglars have mastered exceptionally quiet, almost soundless methods of getting past the entrance door and picking even the latest locks. As a result, even the most vigilant of neighbours are helpless. If they do not get a chance to notice that something is not right, they will not realize that an apartment next door is getting broken into.
Monitoring systems can be tricked
Yet another not fully effective method for guaranteeing security are monitoring systems installed in blocks of flats. A lot of people are convinced that installing cameras on staircases and halls will enable easy identification of intruders which should effectively drive off potentials burglars. In reality, there is a very simple way of getting past this security measure - it is enough to cover one’s face with a balaclava or put on a hood. Even if the intruder is immediately spotted by security guards, it usually takes too much time for the guards or the police to arrive. This gives the burglars an opportunity to escape with the stolen goods.
Dog – the imperfect guardian
Dog owners who live in a block of flats are often convinced that their pet friends will scare off potentials thieves and alarm the neighbours. Unfortunately, in this case burglars have their methods, too. Burglars who are planning a break-in are usually well-prepared and buy special whistles or pharmaceuticals to put the dog to sleep or make it lethargic. This leads to a situation where even a large guard dog cannot effectively guard the house of its owners.
It seems then that apartments are not as safe as we usually consider them to be. So, instead of relying on unproven security measures, it is worth to get interested in some new solutions. The best of them will not only alarm the neighbours when someone breaks in but will also detect attempts of breaking in. Thanks to such solution they will not allow the burglar to break into an apartment. This is exactly what elephant door™ does. By sending notifications about any dangers it can prevent a break-in before anyone actually gets inside!