Went to view the property. When I asked about safety, the first thing the staff person said was that they can't guarantee anything. I was surprised by the emphasis on lack of guarantee; I was expecting an explanation of security protocols in place. I asked if it's typical for residents to let other people waiting at the door into the building and she said that happens naturally because people want to be polite, and no one can prevent that. Yes, that's reality.

I told her a true story of an intruder to see how this complex would manage such a situation. She responded by describing a situation where an intruder was able to approach a resident. Acknowledging that such things happen is honest and realistic. However, the next statements caused concern. She followed up by saying "I don't know the full story" and suggested the resident may have given the intruder permission to enter in the past. I'm not sure why she would tell a potential resident a half-story if she didn't know the full story except to suggest that the resident-victim was at fault. Besides, there is nothing else to know - an unwelcome intruder harrassed/attacked a resident. It's irrelevant whether that non-resident intruder was ever given permission in the past to enter, as long as they weren't given permission on that occasion. Instead of showing concern for the safety of the resident, she blamed the resident. This attitude would have been learned from upper management and is unacceptable. Who would want to move to community where residents (you) are considered problems and intruders are defended'

When I asked, she said the security guards man the gate for vehicles and patrol the property but won't come if a resident has an issue in the buildings. I believe she said there were cameras at entrances, but I am not sure how they are used - how long do they keep tapes and are these tapes available to police or residents who face security issues. When I asked, she said to call the police if there was an issue inside a building. When I asked, she said deliveries should go to a pickup area in one of the buildings and not directly to a unit, which I preferred. But I don't remember clearly if the guards call residents or simply allow deliverypeople to enter, and whether pizza delivery is handled differntly from packages. She did show me the electronic keyfob needed to enter the building; I believe there were 2 items -- 1 to access the building and 1 to access your apartment.

The initial emphasis on no guarantee and later blaming of residents left me uneasy and that's what stuck with me. When I think about it, what they offer in security protocols sounds similar to or even better than what other complexes offer but the attitude learned from upper management caused me pause. The actual security protocols were de-emphasized. Management's response (in feedback below) to assign responsbility on the salesperson and not management, and the de-emphasis on property security, i.e., the referral to non-property security such as police, confirms this.

If I were in sales, I would start with a statement of loyalty and to and concern for the safety of the residents, follow with a description of specific security protocols in place, and then end with the reality and legal disclaimer that there is no 100% guarantee. That approach would cause me to walk away with a better feeling. I do not know if this property's approach is an industry standard or not, so it may not be fair to single out this property.

The models I saw, the price, the location were all nice, and the saleswoman was otherwise pleasant and well-informed.

User Responses
From: Anonymous	Date: 11/11/2008
Although rare, this time I am going to defend management. I have noticed that residents are very lax when it comes to security, letting anyone in the building who may be lingering around outside. One night as I approached the front door, a character jumped out of nowhere expecting me to let him in. He was clearly under the influence of something. When I refused to let him in, one thing led to another and he somehow turned the issue into a racial incident. As outrageous as it was, that worked because a minority took his side and let him in the building. Since that time, burglaries have increased throughout the complex. Also, beware of night jogging as I have seen more than one suspicious looking character lurking in the parking lot. The gate guards let anyone walk in.
From: Anonymous	Date: 11/14/2008
Security: there is none. I love how they started opening the side gate to let the shuttle run. They used to put a security guard there, but apparently decided it wasn't necessary and now they just leave the gate wide open with no one there. Is it just me or is it ridiculously stupid to check IDs at one entrance and leave another wide open?
From: ma3145tt	Date: 01/09/2009
Take a look at the Fairfax County police report for December 31, 2008. You will see on the top of page 2 an incident that occured in the area. I am making an assumption that this was Riverside. It's the only complex around with a security gate and tower 1 is 2000 Huntington Ave. Huntington Avenue 2000 A 58-year-old Alexandria-area man was robbed while working as a security guard on Sunday, December 28. At 2:25 a.m., a patrol officer was flagged down by a passerby advising the security guard of an apartment complex in the 2000 block of Huntington Avenue needed help. Officers located the victim in the parking lot. Further investigation determined the guard was inside the security booth at the gate when a car pulled up and a man exited. The man tried to gain access into the complex but was denied. As the man returned to his car, the guard exited the booth. The man turned around and assaulted the guard. The suspect took personal items from the victim and fled in his car. The victim was treated at the scene for minor injuries. The suspect was described as black, in his 20s. He was wearing a blue jacket with a gold stripe. http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/police/crime/incident-reports/2008/activityreport123108.pdf

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