Happy 2021, Tenants. We know it’s still difficult to celebrate when we are in lockdown again, and the pandemic continues to ravage us. We hope you and yours are staying safe, adhering to the social distance rules and wearing your masks. As the even more contagious “mutant” strain of the virus is now here in Los Angeles, we all need to be even more careful, just at the time when the fatigue of isolation and the desire for things to be “normal” again are making this hardship even more pressurized. Please be as patient with yourself and others as possible. We are nearing the end of the beginning, but we still have a long way to go
We wanted to provide some reminders as we start off the New Year in an unwanted new “normal”:
CRIME
Crime is on the rise all over the city and, even if you have a “secured” building or parking, thieves will find their way in. Here are our suggestions for staying safer:
- In gated parking, wait to proceed (either to the street or your parking space) until the gate is closed behind you.
- Follow out your guests or delivery people to be sure the door and/or gate is secured behind them and no non-residents enter without being buzzed in.
- Instead of buzzing in guests or deliveries via the intercom, meet them at the door so you can be sure no non-residents are able to enter.
- Do not leave any items in your car (not even a jacket or piece of paper). Anything visible will attract the curiosity of thieves. Secure any items that must be left in your car in the trunk or hatch.
- Pick up your mail daily and track any deliveries so those can be collected as soon as they are delivered.
- Consider renting a Private Mailbox (different than a P.O. Box) so all of your mail, packages and deliveries can be collected by someone and held safely until you can go by and collect them.
- Use alternative delivery methods for packages, such as Amazon Lockers or in-store pickup.
Securing Mail
Currently, there is a wave of mail theft across the city, in which the thieves have the Post Office key to access the mailboxes. As many tax related documents will be sent in the month of January, please check your mail daily and as close to the delivery time as possible. You can sign up for the USPS tracking app to be made aware of deliveries and get to know your postal carriers so you know better their schedule, including their days off when another carrier takes over. If you believe you are a victim of mail theft, call the Postmaster/Postal Inspectors. They recommend immediately reporting theft, tampering, or destruction of mail or mailboxes to your Postmaster. Or click here to report it to the Postal Inspectors online https://www.uspis.gov/report/ , or call 1-877-876-2455 (press 5).
Being a Part of Your Neighborhood
Consider joining platforms like NextDoor, Citizen, Ring (if you have been approved for one), follow your neighborhood news on Patch or Facebook, follow the 311 Twitter account for your area, or sign up for a local newsletter (some neighborhoods have them). These will alert you to what’s going on in the neighborhood (positive and not so much), and you can share communication with neighbors outside of your building.
Reach Out to Your City Councilperson
When you have a problem (noisy construction, uptick in crime), your Councilperson is there to help. Their office will respond and will advise you of the best steps to take and will guide you toward the solution, be it from parking and traffic issues, to hazards in your neighborhood. Their job is to help their constituents in these matters. You can find yours here: http://neighborhoodinfo.lacity.org/
Get to Know Your Co-Tenants
Even with the COVID restrictions, it’s important to get to know your neighbors. If you are comfortable, exchange contact information so you can be in touch, whether it’s to ask for them to keep an eye on your place when you are out of town (the office appreciates knowing, too, if you will be gone longer than a weekend), or to let someone know their TV is a bit too loud. Having that connection will also help you spot when something is amiss, and you can report that concern to the office or the authorities.
Building communities help us in many ways, especially for us to be safer and to feel less isolated. Being aware of what’s going on in your neighborhood also helps us to be safer and find a deeper connection to the place we call home.
We wish each of you all the best for 2021 and continue to hope things get better soon. Please stay safe and take care.