introduction:
In preparation for the formal report, students first created a short proposal which included an introduction to the problem, the organization involved, and a proposed solution to resolve this issue. This proposal gave students the opportunity to brainstorm potential ideas, research methods, and develop a plan to address the issues. Before proceeding forward with formal report, the proposal was first approved by Professor Erika Paterson to ensure that we were on the right track. I chose to write my assignment based upon insufficient security measures in my condominium.
formal report proposal:
To: Dr. Erika Paterson, Instructor ENGL 301 Technical Writing UBC
From: Johnathan Tam, Student ENGL 301 Technical Writing UBC
Date: Oct 25, 2021
Subject: Proposal for Determining the Feasibility of Increasing Security Measures at Local Condominium
Introduction
A surprising and unknown fact to many is that burglary is the most common threat to households. Home invasions are rarely planned in advance but can take place in less than 10 minutes. In Canada, there are an average of 161,000 home burglaries per year.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, crime rates have spiked upwards and property crimes followed this same trend. Shortly after the pandemic hit Canada in around March 2020, there was an increase of about 15% in residential breaking and entering incidents, compared to the previous year. For my own condominium building, in the past two months, there were 3 reported incidents of robberies and breaking and entering. This rise in residential crime at my condominium is very concerning and if it continues, will lead to increased danger for all residents in the strata lot.
Intended Reader
The intended reader for my report will be the condominium’s strata council and Rancho Property Management, the management service for our strata. These two entities work together to maintain the wellbeing of the community, make decisions to allow the strata corporation to operate smoothly, and ensure everyone is complying with the bylaws. As a resident in the building, I can voice my concerns to these groups, and they will act to make changes as needed.
Statement of Problem
One of the most common targets for burglars are condominiums, especially for ground-floor units where the foot traffic is high from the streets. There are also instances where burglars are accidentally let into the lobby, unbeknownst to residents who think they are simply holding the door open for a fellow resident in the building.
As outlined above, there have been 3 reported incidents of crime in the past two month: 1) theft from breaking and entering the mail/package room in the lobby; 2) breaking, entering, and attempted robbery of a ground floor unit; and 3) theft from breaking and entering a storage locker. Unfortunately, in all 3 cases, the culprits were never found, and no significant changes were made to deter other burglars. Being proactive is key to ensuring the safety of all residents so it is crucial that security measures are increased to prevent future crimes.
Proposed Solution
One possible solution to increase security measures is to install more security cameras around the condominium. Currently, we are lacking any type of security cameras in key areas such as the mail/package room and the large ground-floor courtyard which can be easily accessed by non-residents.
Another possible solution is to increase security patrols during times when crime has occurred the most in the condominium.
Scope
To assess the feasibility of improving security measures in the condominium, I plan to pursue seven areas of inquiry:
- How worried are residents about the increased incidents of crime in the condominium?
- What are the most common time frames in which crime has occurred in the condominium?
- Are there any common aspects between all the crimes that have taken place in the condominium in the past 3 years?
- What are some security measures that are in place for other condominiums?
- What is our current budget in term of security measure?
- How much money can we afford to spend from our strata pool?
- What are the costs associated with implementing more security cameras and increasing patrol from security guards?
Methods
My primary sources of data will include a survey that canvasses all residents of in the strata lot, gathering information about their concerns on security and outline areas of improvement.
Secondary sources will include publications that highlight crime in residential units and how this can be prevented.
My Qualifications
As a resident in the condominium for the past 2 years, I am very familiar with the lay-out of the building, foot traffic in the surrounding area, and past reported incidents of crime. Additionally, my work in the research field provided me with direct experience in creating ethically approved surveys, collecting data, and analyzing it. I can draw from all these experiences to collect data and assess the feasibility of the increasing security measures in the condominium.
Conclusion
Increasing residential crime rates are a concern for many residents in the condominium as our safety is being jeopardized. It is crucial that preventative measures are established so that we can live peacefully in our household. Thus, I am aiming to improve security measures for all residents and prevent future crimes from occurring. With your approval, I will begin the research at once.