Arguments in favor of increased security, please

This is for a condo association in Texas. When I moved here, and for many years after, we hired off duty State Troopers.

One of their most important tasks was to go to the pools (especially) and all other amenities every 30 minutes to make sure everyone had their amenities card. Ejected trespassers, and sometimes people who live here but didn't have their cards.

They came on duty when the office closed M-F until midnight or so, then on the weekends in the summer months, they did shifts in the day also, and stayed later at night.

First they got rid of the troopers and went to some regular security company, but now they have cut their hours down resulting in pool pandemonium daily.

We are a large complex with two pool areas. One has the smaller, more shallow ones, and there isn't much trouble there. The trouble is with the main area, which is gigantic. Two pools, one of them has water volleyball, we have a hot tub in a gazebo, and then picnic table areas with grills and such.

It's really nice, and surrounding us are complexes with no pools, or pools that aren't as nice, and so people want to trespass into ours.

A lot of them get rowdy when asked to leave, and when the office is open, a staff member can call police to criminally trespass them, but after 5:00, we are on our own.

To me, this is insane. Everyone has different ideas about what is important to spend on, and people can disagree, but what I am seeking is strong arguments to make to the board about the necessity of security.

I don't think they will care much about the personal feeling of greater safety I have with them here! Before, I remember the Troopers saying we are really not here to guard residents, though we do respond if there is a trespasser or an incident anywhere, what we are primarily hired for is to protect the office and amenities (association responsibility areas) which leads me to think that should be the focus of my arguments.

I am new at being involved and my friend who is more experienced with it (and adviser to the board now) feels exactly the opposite, so she is of no help! She is one of the former board members whose first task was to get rid of the troopers.

She just keeps saying 'We can't afford it' but also keeps talking about how to solve this pool pandemonium. Obviously, I keep saying the only solution to that is security! Or at least SOME type of staff member with authority to call police and trespass people. Which goes back to 'we can't afford that', so in essence she wants the problem solved in some magical way I cannot grasp. Well, she wants the police to come but they aren't going to police our pool all the time, that is what private security is for.

I'm wondering if part of why we chose to afford it before is liability, which would be a strong argument to make now if that is the case. Otherwise all I have now is we should be safe and secure at the pool, not subject to trespassers who cause trouble. One incident recently there was a group of at least 15 people who started trouble with some residents and ended up cussing and threatening them. I think the police did come that time, but this is a frequent type of occurrence that just needs to be solved properly imo.

They by-laws say something about 'defending the property from liability' but that was probably language regarding insurance. Anyway, ideas?

While I was penning a draft to bring this up to the President (we are on a friendly basis. I can talk to him without doing something formal) I thought more about liability.

They used to make sure there were no glass bottles. There is no one to do that now.

And what about if someone is hurt due to lack of enforcement regarding non-residents at the pool? And even residents, we can have only 3 guests. 4 people per amenity card only.

Every year when we had security, especially on Holidays, it has been madness for the poor Trooper on duty.

Everyone wants more guests, don't want to be arsed to go get their card if they forgot it, etc. Trespassers galore. I'm talking mobs sometimes. 20 unruly people screaming that they are not going anywhere. This isn't right for residents to deal with on our own.

The HOA I live in is in the same predicament. The HOA went cheap and hired a security company that pays guards $9 DPH, and all the guards did was sleep in their cars. I suggested a special; assessment that would cover cameras at the pool, changing the locks to digital fobs and it would cover a quality guard company that pays
a higher DPH for the 120 days of summertime high demand use. I even suggested hiring a life guard for the 120 days because a lifeguard would have a bi more clout
and is better knowledgable with pool ruled and regs. AND, AND is still an agent in charge to sign off on trespass citations.

We have a camera there. I don't think it's very helpful. I decided this is not one of the things I am going to focus on. I looked in the by-laws about liability and it has a big thing about refusing liability and not requiring security.

I'm going to toss in my 'two cents' after the new board is elected, a simple email focused on the bare facts: There is no other way to keep peace at the pool. That is why we had it before, and I would appreciate their consideration of going back to that.

When other residents mention problems, I am just going to repeat myself like a robot. 'Yeah, well, that is why we used to have security. It's a shame that we don't have that, or at least some sort of staffing anymore.' I'm not going to try and sway anyone.

They have brains. They can figure out for themselves one way or another: We pay for the peace, or we have pandemonium.

My thought re video surveillance was not so much at the entrance - that is easy, but of the entire pools areas. This can be noted to enable to Association to press charges.

I believe you need to make it look TOUGH, and then make an example out of an egregious case.

They will get over that.

Gyms are also available if they are serious about their concern in front of hundreds of other bathers :-) (I did get the point about his being a large pool complex?)

More cameras have already been voted down with a hard no.

I was able to speak with the Security guy tonight. They have him shifted now from 5:pm to coming on duty at 8:pm. That would account for some of the uptick in pool issues.