Riskboss Alert - Rooftopping - Daredevils with a Death Wish
Riskboss™ (www.riskboss.com) often receives alerts from the police services, government authorities and other agencies that may be of interest to residential condominium property managers and boards of directors. Riskboss offers periodic alerts to institutions, organizations, commercial and condominium property managers and board members to assist in identifying risk to the communities and to provide solutions to mitigate that risk. Riskboss hopes the following information assists you. Please feel free to distribute this document to other property managers and community based associations that may benefit from the content. Please contact us any time with any issue that you may want researched regarding crime, disorder and risk.
Toronto has some of the tallest condominium and commercial towers in the world. With that, Toronto also has some of the highest incidences of Rooftopping. Rooftoppers enter the upper floor mechanical rooms via poor door locking systems and by cutting the padlocks to roof access areas. Roof-toppers then post videos on YouTube, etc. exposing their daredevil experiences hanging off the side of buildings with absolutely no regard for their own safety or the safety of others. Most tall building are susceptible to Rooftopping unless mitigation strategies have been implemented. Rooftopping has been very popular for several years, especially with young people.
There are online resources that actually tell Rooftoppers where the best places to go and videos for beginners on how to become a Rooftoppers. Of late, Riskboss has encountered several sites that have had non-resident photography students repeatedly attempt to breach security to gain access to the roof to capture images of the Toronto skyline.
Riskboss recommends the following precautions in preventing trespassing into your property
- Signage: All access doors must be properly signed for emergency responders as to what exactly is inside. On roof access doors, evaluators also recommend signage such as, “Prohibited Access. Restricted Area. Trespassers will be Prosecuted.”
- Locks: All access doors should have deadbolt locks as a minimum standard. Key-in-handle style locks are very easy to manipulate. Door strike plate covers are not recommended in lieu of deadbolt locks. Locks to roof access doors should have a tough locking mechanism. Most padlock style locking mechanisms have very weak surrounding metal housings. People generally cut away at the surrounding housing and not the lock to gain entry.
- Patrols: Security should patrol these areas routinely and report on signs of tampering.
- Door Props: Door props are used by trades to keep doors open while they are working. This depressurizes the building and allows for unauthorized persons to enter restricted areas unseen. Door props should be removed when found and trades should be advised not to use them.
- Education & Awareness: Building superintendents and cleaning staff should be made aware of these practices and ensure that all access points are properly secured at all times during their shifts.
- Reporting: Always report crimes in progress like trespassing to 911 immediately.
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