Security Reports

Does the individual/s creating the report work for the HOA or the MC?

Then the board, in my opinion, has zero right to see the actual nightly reports.
They can ask, but the decision is the MCs, as it would be an internal work document.

Alex,

What does the contract with the MC say?

Us there legally confidential material in the nightly report?

And why do you want to see the report?

As a Board member.... I want to be informed... it is my RIGHT

Well, it IS possible there's nothing to report. What does the property manager have to gain from not letting the board know there was a break-in at 123 Main street two nights ago or a trend seemed to be developing in mailbox vandalism?

Then there's the question of what you plan to do with this information. It's one thing if you become aware of a trend - I suspect your neighbors wouldn't hesitate in notifying the board. Then you and your board colleagues could discuss ways to address it, such as ask your local police department for extra patrols. In that case, betting a report with that information would be useful - otherwise, this smacks of you simply being nosey.

You probably don't need a nightly report to start - why not ask if a weekly or monthly report could be prepared (saving time and paper). Or...check out your police department's website. In my community, the police department has a crime tracker on its website where you can put in your address and see crime statistics related to your area and is usually updated daily. They use a website called CityProtect.com - maybe you should check it out?

But according to the OP, the management company (MC) employs/contracts with the Security detail. I agree with TimB4 and GeorgeS21. It appears to me that the HOA does not own these security reports. The only way a HOA director has the right to look at them is if the contract between the HOA and the MC says so.

I trust that the MC is handling covenant violations along with any need to report incidents to the police, per the Security detail's reports. If there are signs otherwise, then the board can re-negotiate the contract, perhaps to include that copies of the reports be provided to the HOA.

You have a right to your opinion, although I've always respected Tim's reasonable and calm approach to questions on this board and I see nothing wrong with what he said.

My community has hired off duty police officers to do periodic drive-throughs in our community, and we don't get nightly reports from them. Every month, the board gets an update on the officers' activities - when I was on the board, we usually heard if something went on from a neighbor or the racket ensued not far from where we lived. Sometimes the homeowners themselves brought up an issue during the resident forum. Homeowners can also leave voice messages or send emails to the officers regarding non-emergency issues or if they have concerns with a neighbor's behavior that could be criminal, or the neighbor is so hostile, they'll only straighten up when someone in uniform speaks to them. One of our officers is particularly good at de-escalation hostile people.

It would be one thing if the company wasn't providing ANY information whatsoever to the board, but in this case, we don't know what's in this contract. Alex is a board member and that's the first place he should have looked - what does the contract say? For starters, is this referring to neighborhood drive throughs by a security officer? What about footage from security cameras? Are there issues neighbors have bought to Alex's attention and he's wondering if the security officers are aware or the security cameras have picked something up? You don't need a nightly report to get answers to those questions.

You are correct about the other board members - maybe they've indicated they're happy with how the management company's handling this and Alex is throwing a bit of a hissy fit because "I'm on the board and I have a right to know." If I was on the board, I'd want a better answer than that.

Have you noticed Alex hasn't said much beyond the person who put together the report works for the property manager? That's nice, but he's yet to answer the big question - WHAT IS IN THE CONTRACT REGARDING SECURITY AND THESE REPORTS? That can turn the responses one way or another and since he hasn't said, he's either reading the contract and will come back to post, or the contract doesn't address this at all. He'd probably saved more time if he'd started there in the first place.

Anyway, you received the report on the trespasser in the pool, which was appropriate, but since there wasn't anything to report in the preceding reports, there was no reason for you to look at them. You're correct that boards should know what's happening in their communities, but communication is a two-way street, and boards usually aren't made up of psychics. There are 1400 homes in your community, and since the board can't be everywhere at once (and do have a life outside the association), there are other ways to get that information, starting with the residents within those 1400 homes sending an email to the board or property manager or showing up at a meeting and saying something during the resident forum.

For me, I was more interested in the information I needed to know right away - if there wasn't anything to report, I don't need to be told there's nothing to report. When it comes to neighborhood security, I find it's very difficult to keep that under wraps - people still do the word of mouth thing, and like you, that bears more weight than something I see on social media. Then again, I do live in a much smaller community and I must say the Nextdoor site serving my area is usually pretty good at monitoring rumors (people get shut down quickly by other people if they post foolishness).

Mark

I believe the OP wishes to review the actual nightly review reports, the work papers if you will.

I'm not in the security business and can only offer conjecture about the processes involved, but I can conceive of possible reasons why there would be a desire not to release the workpapers if summary reports of information are provided as required under the contract.

For example, those patrol reports may contain information which, on subsequent review by the security patrol management, is deemed outside the scope of the contract, or contains information which is private for some reason, or contains errors, or what have you.

For the life of me I can see no reason not to give the patrol reports, or a summary of such, to the BOD. If for no other reason but to show they are doing their job.

There is a size limit (but I forget what it is).

JohnC77

That's nice but are you requesting to see the sheets on the clipboard the patrol officers use for taking notes in making their daily rounds?

Providing reports required under the Ts & Cs of a contract is one thing, not an issue. Providing underlying documentation work papers is quite another in my mind.

We manage condominium associations. If I were asked for a copy of the underlying QB files we use to manage a client, other than the Accountants Copy, which I release only to the CPA, I would refuse to provide it.

I would also refuse to provide my underlying report generation spreadsheets or the notes on the pad on my desk. There is information in the QB files and in other locations which is private and cannot be released. Credit card and bank account information for owners are two examples.

I will produce QB download reports in Excel until the cows come home but not the underlying customer or Association file data.

How do you know the patrol officer noted a license plate which he or she felt should not be where it was; upon investigation by security patrol management it was determined the license plate data should not have been recorded. There is no defensible reason why the Board, or even the MC, should be privy to that information.

Alex, noo there is not and that is my point.

If the client, the Association, through the Board, is of the opinion the Security Patrol reports are not providing a complete and accurate picture of what is being observed and reported, then that is the discussion which must take place with the MC and the Security Company.

Perhaps the Board, through a committee, should jointly review the raw reports with the security company and understand what is not being included in the summary reports and why.

What is going on? What are the underlying concerns? What is generating those concerns? How can those concerns be addressed?

Demanding the patrol reports because one is on the Board and is entitled to review them may not initially be the most productive way to address issues.

I think the board has the right to see everything that is done on behalf of the association by the manager or MC.

I see these type of reports on a daily basis. These are not reports jeopardizing national security. Everyone is blowing this WAY out of proportion. If it contained license plate numbers, it is nothing a homeowner or board member wouldn't notice walking around a community's grounds.

The reports my Board gets daily takes about 1 minute to read. As others have stated most of the time very little to report.

I would be embarrassed if a event in my HOA happened and I told the owners I am waiting till the end of the month for the report.

due to the large response against this, I have decided to do away with any collection of this report by anyone.

Alex

I for one believe the BOD is entitled to some sort of a basic report. After all, the people are patrolling your neighborhood.