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Are you looking for an apartment?
The Lynnwood Police Department wants to help you choose a safe place. By doing a little detective work yourself and following these listed suggestions, you can get a more accurate picture of the safety of the apartment you are considering.
If you go to the time and trouble to follow these suggestions for checking your prospective apartment, you will have a good idea of the safety.
- Walk around the complex yourself and see how all the buildings are maintained. Are the grounds well kept? Are the common areas neat? Do you see trash lying around? Are the laundry rooms secure and clean? If there is a pool area or weight room, are they well maintained?
- Try to be there when people come home from work. Do they look like the kind of people you want for neighbors? Strike up a conversation by telling them you are considering an apartment in this complex. Ask them what they think of the safety of the area, response of management to problems, what crimes, if any, occur there. Also ask them if they would choose this place if they had the chance to do it over again.
- It is also a very good idea to be there after dark to look at the lighting of the complex. Good lighting on porches, grounds and play yards, storage areas and laundry rooms, mail boxes and parking areas deters crime.
- Drive a 3 to 4 block square area. This will be your new neighborhood should you decide to move in. What do you think about the safety of the area?
- Drive the routes you will commonly use to and from work, school, shopping, etc. Do they seem safe?
- Ask the management if they have an Apartment Watch program with the police department. Do they have regularly scheduled meetings for residents on topics of safety?
- If there is a specific unit you are considering, it's a good idea to knock on a few doors to find out who your new neighbors may be. It would be helpful to meet the people on either side and above you. Do you think they will be good neighbors? Of course, there is no guarantee they will always be there, but you can often avoid a bad situation in advance.
- Look over the apartment you are considering. Is the door solid and does it have a sturdy dead bolt lock? Is there a peephole? How is the outdoor lighting on the porch and deck? Do sliding glass doors and windows have a secondary lock? (You can usually buy a simple device to add extra security here). Many people think upper units are safer than ground floor apartments.
Call the Crime Prevention Unit of the Lynnwood Police Department for further information at
425-670-5635.
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