Calgary condo break-ins underscore need to keep lockboxes secured
Global News
By John Himpe and Nancy Hixt
26 September 2017
Brian Colledge is an avid biker who’d invested thousands of dollars into his bicycle.
“It was this awesome Rocky Mountain Instinct 950, worth about $4,000 with a few extra parts added on.”
Early in September, Colledge’s bike was stolen from the storage room at
his condominium tower in Calgary’s urban Beltline neighbourhood. And
while a stolen bike isn’t necessarily newsworthy, it’s how the bike was
taken that seems brazen.
“Somebody pried the lockbox [like the
type] used for trades, security, plumbing, fire and emergency off the
outside of the building, smashed it open, and gained the key fob to
common areas as well as two master keys to the other common areas.”
Lockboxes are commonly used to give tradespersons and realtors access
to large residential complexes. Under the city of Calgary’s fire code,
buildings like the large condo towers in the Beltline are also required
to have a lockbox so emergency services personnel can easily gain
access to the building.
Colledge’s condo complex was quick to act in deactivating the fob used to gain access to the building.
Surveillance video shows the alleged thief leaving a bike storage room in a Calgary condo building.
Four days later, security footage showed the same thief returning to
the building, smashing open another lockbox, and using the keys inside
to get in and steal yet another bike. It was at that point the condo
board took drastic action.
“With the exception of fire and police, every contractor lockbox and
every realtor lockbox has been moved off-site,” Colledge said. “It is
inconvenient, but we’re lucky that our condo management building is
literally right across the street.”
Putting lockboxes under guard is exactly what Calgary police have been recommending to condo boards for a number of years.
“We would suggest any time that you can, those aren’t left out,” said
Staff Sergeant Sean Gregson. “Whether they’re realtor boxes or
lockboxes that are even embedded in the building, we’ve seen
circumstances where people can get in to those.”
“When you leave those keys out in a location that is easily visible, people will take advantage of it.”
Colledge said while he can understand the need for lockboxes to give
access to those who need to do work within the building, he’s pleased
action has been taken to move them off-site.
“It’s going to inconvenience a realtor and a tradesperson, but the risk
of getting broken into is greater than the inconvenience to somebody
like that.”
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