Campus Safety Tips for Residents

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On May 4th and 5th we’ll be handing out the below Campus Safety Tips information in a memo to residents in MENNO APARTMENTS.
Please read and support your loved one in the Apartments by going through this information and further explaining any information that might be pertinent to them.

MEMO
Date: May 4, 2021
To:              All Apartments Residents
Re:             Campus Safety Tips

Dear Residents,

Last month, a stranger on a bicycle followed a resident’s car through the Primrose Garden’s parkade gate. He managed to make his way into at least one car that was not secured, and took a few small items. This man spoke with more than one resident. He should not have been there.

In effort to keep everyone, and their belongings safe, we want to remind you of a few important safety tips for apartment buildings and parkades.

  1. Feel free to report anything suspicious to a Menno Place staff member, if available. Staff will evaluate and decide if further investigation is needed. If you are witnessing someone who is actively trying to break in, or cause harm to Menno Place or resident property, you can call the police. Please do not engage with the perpetrator.
  2. If there is a person(s) lurking or loitering on the campus that looks like they don’t belong, please alert a staff member. “I’m waiting for my grandpa (or grandma)” is not an appropriate answer if they are in an area that is resident only, like a parkade.
  3. If you park in the parkades on campus, please watch the gate close when entering and exiting the parkade. Often, a thief will wait till you turn the corner and drive on before they race down to get under the gate before it closes. If you witness this happening, phone the police from your car or a safe distance away from thief. Again, do not engage them. The same applies if you park on the black top outside and notice someone lurking around the cars or looks to be trying to break into a car. Please alert a staff person, or call the police if you witness this.
  4. If you have someone buzz you on the enterphone front door buzzer, and you are not expecting anyone, DO NOT BUZZ THEM IN. Please come down to check the door on who it is, or leave it alone. If they say “Hi Grandma (or Grandpa)” without their name, this is not a sufficient answer and often a tactic unfriendly people will use to gain access to the building.
  5. If you notice anything suspicious, note the date, time and area you saw it so that Menno Place staff can check security cameras or look for witnesses at the correct time. This is very helpful to get more evidence after the fact.

A “suspicious person” could look like someone who is:

  • Covered in black or dark clothing
  • Riding a bike
  • Wearing a hood over their head
  • Wearing sunglasses in the parkade
  • Trying to hide their face from being identified and not answering your call out to them
  • Anyone just loitering and “hanging around” an area that does not look right
  • Makes excuses about visiting a grandparent but doesn’t know their full name or details about them

And MOST IMPORTANTLY:

ALWAYS lock your suite door (whether inside your suite or away) and your patio door (especially ground floor suites)

ALWAYS lock your car, and make sure all windows are closed. DO NOT leave any valuables of any kind in your car like golf clubs, anything expensive looking, purses and wallets (even if empty), and loose change in the console.

DO NOT leave any valuables unsecured in the parkade scooter parking, in your parking stall in front of your car, outside your suite door on the ledge, or unlocked storage locker. Make sure you have a suitable lock on your storage locker that is actually locked.

Emergency Numbers:

  1. Menno Place Building Emergency (no immediate threat) – 604-217-4418

Example: You notice damage done to the property or car like a broken exterior door, or smashed glass/window and there is no perpetrator in sight.

  1. Abbotsford Police Non-Emergency Line (no immediate threat) – 604-859-5225

Example: There has been a confirmed theft but the perpetrator is not around any longer.

  1. Abbotsford Police Emergency – (there IS an immediate threat to your safety or safety of other residents/staff) – 9-1-1

Example: There is a strange individual (possibly someone on drugs or with harmful intent) that is trying to gain access to a building or in the building already. Try to always notify staff as well, if anyone is around.

 

We have a security company patrolling the campus and parkades a few times every night as well, for added security and peace of mind.

Thank you for helping keep everyone and everything on the Menno Place campus safe and sound!

Any questions? Please ask your nearest Reception Desk!