Some associations have hired security guards and installed surveillance cameras. While reasonable security measures should be followed, the Board should be very careful when adopting extraordinary ones. Boards are sometimes caught in a Catch 22 trap when it comes to security. A Board fails to inform residents about a violent resident who subsequently injures another resident and the Board is held responsible. Installing video surveillance cameras is a very expensive and uncertain method for controlling crime.
Security is more perception than reality.
Many surveillance cameras with blinking red lights are nothing more than fake cameras with blinking red lights. Paying the cost of ongoing security like guards and cameras should also be carefully considered. They are often reactive measures to a break-in, assault or other security problem. Once the hysteria passes, the homeowners' desire to fund the ongoing costs is rarely there. One of the biggest liabilities of increased security is altering the expectations of residents.