Ensure residential buildings are as secure as possible

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A watchman of a building in the central suburbs has been nabbed after an 11-year-old girl accused him of molestation. He allegedly followed the girl into the lift and touched her inappropriately. He also tried to kiss her, threatening that she not reveal this to anybody. The girl did tell her mother though, and a complaint was lodged at the police station after which he was nabbed.

It is vital that buildings have good CCTV coverage in common areas like elevators and passages. The front gate should have surveillance too. The elevator must have an alarm button. One does understand that the target was a little girl, so there is a chance of confusion or freezing out of fear, which can happen to adults too. The upside is that the victim had the courage to confide in her mother, which led to the complaint being filed.

The common areas of every building but also be well-lit. We often have tube lights or bulbs on the blink on certain staircases, in the stairwell or even in elevators at times. The committee or those in charge must see that these are replaced and in working condition.

Unfortunately, it is the security/watchmen who have in certain situations been responsible for crime in the building. That is why it is so important that the building management has a photo and details of each security employee. Often, these watchmen change as they quit jobs often. The new watchmen if any on roll need to be told to furnish details to the committee as soon as they take up the job.

Building residents now need to stand as one to support the victim/target. This is certainly not a trivial matter for mental scars may linger. We may not have control of the outside environment. However, make your building as secure as possible through some checks and whatever safety measures one can install.