I manage a 24 unit apartment building. My live-in superintendant calls me to tell me the police were at the apartment of one of my new tenant's last Friday. He wasn't sure if they were called in or if they showed up on their own. I approach the tenant and ask her about it. She denies they were ever there. I'm concerned because I've already had to approach her about a person living in the apartment who is not on the lease...... and now this.
So I go down to the police station, introduce myself as the property manager and ask if they can tell me IF the cops were called to my building on that day. I make it clear that I'm not asking why they were there, I just want to know IF they were there. I give the girl's name and apartment number. The cop at the counter gets very uncomfortable and is reluctant to say much. I tell him that I'm a concerned property owner and am just curious as to what goes on at my property. He goes back to the computer and verifies that the cops were at my building that day...but gives me no other info. I thank him and as I'm walking out he tells me that the dispatcher might be able to help me out more than he could. I was like wtf??? Were his hands tied or was he just lazy? What could the dispatcher tell me that he couldn't?
My main questions are:
1. What is the police protocol for handling this request?
2. As a property owner, do I have the right to know about the police activity taking place inside my building?
How would your station handle this?
I realize that there could be an investigation which could make things complicated. But if it was something like assault or noise, where the police are called in, shouldn't they be able to tell me that?
The only reason I went down there is because five years ago, while performing due diligence prior to purchase, I went down to the station and asked if I could see how many times the police were ever called to the building. I didn't expect much at all, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask. Much to my amazement, one of the cops escorted me down the hall in to a huge dark room with 20 people behind computer screens. I thought I was in a nuclear fall out shelter. He walks up to one of the computers, types the building address and out prints a report of the 6 police visits ever made to the building and which apartments were involved and why they were there.
Thanks! :beer:
So I go down to the police station, introduce myself as the property manager and ask if they can tell me IF the cops were called to my building on that day. I make it clear that I'm not asking why they were there, I just want to know IF they were there. I give the girl's name and apartment number. The cop at the counter gets very uncomfortable and is reluctant to say much. I tell him that I'm a concerned property owner and am just curious as to what goes on at my property. He goes back to the computer and verifies that the cops were at my building that day...but gives me no other info. I thank him and as I'm walking out he tells me that the dispatcher might be able to help me out more than he could. I was like wtf??? Were his hands tied or was he just lazy? What could the dispatcher tell me that he couldn't?
My main questions are:
1. What is the police protocol for handling this request?
2. As a property owner, do I have the right to know about the police activity taking place inside my building?
How would your station handle this?
I realize that there could be an investigation which could make things complicated. But if it was something like assault or noise, where the police are called in, shouldn't they be able to tell me that?
The only reason I went down there is because five years ago, while performing due diligence prior to purchase, I went down to the station and asked if I could see how many times the police were ever called to the building. I didn't expect much at all, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask. Much to my amazement, one of the cops escorted me down the hall in to a huge dark room with 20 people behind computer screens. I thought I was in a nuclear fall out shelter. He walks up to one of the computers, types the building address and out prints a report of the 6 police visits ever made to the building and which apartments were involved and why they were there.
Thanks! :beer:
