One of the first tasks in protecting your family is ensuring the safety of your home.
The following resources have been assembled to help Tampa Bay residents create safe and secure home environments.
Vulnerability Assessment
The first step in developing any security program (regardless of the type of location or asset) is conducting a risk assessment to determine the actual level of threat, vulnerability, and the potential consequences of risk occurrence. When planning security for your home, this process should consider:
1. What are the most common types of residential security and safety risks that you or your family may be exposed to?
2. How vulnerable is your home? Do the necessary conditions exist for an adverse event to occur?
3. What could the potential loss be due to different types of risks?
To answer the first question, begin by finding out what types of crimes have affected your neighborhood recently. Ask your neighbors for their insight or visit the Tampa Bay Online (TBO) Crimetracker and run a query. How does your neighborhood stack up against the rest of the county? What are the most common types of crimes occurring in your neighborhood? If necessary, contact the local police and speak with a crime prevention officer.
After identifying potential threats to your family and home, determine what vulnerabilities may be present that could facilitate a crime or accident. Considering the potential threats already identified, conduct a vulnerability survey of your residence.
Following are links to several checklists developed by crime prevention practitioners to aid people in assessing the vulnerability of their homes to security related threats.
Residential Security Checklist (Prepared by the Colerain Twnsp Police)
Home Security Checklist (Adobe PDF - Prepared by Provincial Government of Alberta, Canada)
Home Security Survey (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police)
Following are links to checklist and survey forms related to home safety and accident prevention.
Home Safety Checklist (Boy Scouts of America, Merit Badge Handbook)
Home Fire Safety Checklist (National Fire Protection Association)
Home Safety Checklist (Children's Safety Association of Canada)
In addition to serving as a source for identifying potential problems and vulnerabilities, these survey checklists also serve as a starting point for improving security by describing universal security and safety practices.
For additional assistance in identifying and evaluating possible security improvements, refer to the resources listed on the right side of this web page.
Private Residential Communities
To aid mangers and owners of multi-tenant apartment communities in reducing risks of crime, the Office of Justice Programs of the Department of Justice has developed a special training program for apartment community managers. This program is typically administered by local police departments and focuses on a variety of issues, including tenant screening, Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), documentation to support eviction, problem recognition and evaluation, etc.
To view the police training manual for the Keeping Illegal Activity Out of Rental Property training program, click "HERE" to download the book in Adobe PDF format.
Following are links to other resources for landlords and property managers.
Drug Dealing in Privately Owned Apartment Complexes (Adobe PDF)
Keeping Illegal Activity Out of Rental Property (Adobe PDF)
Additional Solutions for Residential Communities
For Tampa-area communities that require a higher degree of protection, Clearwater-based Critical Intervention Services provides protection officers that are specially trained in protecting residential environments. CIS officers use a proven community-based strategy called CCBPI (Community & Character Based Protection Initiative) to eliminate the conditions that allow the cycle of crime to continue. This approach has earned CIS worldwide recognition for its effectiveness and uniqueness.
In situations where crime has reached an escalated level, CIS STOP teams may be the only solution for reclaiming the troubled community. Working in close cooperation with law enforcement authorities, CIS STOP teams use a variety of tactics to drive drug dealers, gang members, and other unwanted elements out of the community. For information about CIS STOP operations in the Tampa Bay area, click "HERE."
Quick Links
Crime in Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay Online (TBO) Crimetracker
Residential Safety & Security
Residential Security Checklist (Prepared by the Colerain Twnsp Police)
Home Security Checklist (Adobe PDF - Prepared by Provincial Government of Alberta, Canada)
Home Security Survey (Las Vegas Metropolitian Police)
Home Safety Checklist (Boy Scouts of America, Merit Badge Handbook)
Home Fire Safety Checklist (National Fire Protection Association)
Home Safety Checklist (Children's Safety Association of Canada)
Community-Based Protection
Drug Dealing in Privately Owned Apartment Complexes (Adobe PDF)
Keeping Illegal Activity Out of Rental Property (Adobe PDF)
