From The New York Shitty Inbox, Part II: A Dispatch From Engert Avenue

E writes (in regards to this post):

Miss Heather,

I have no idea if this is coincidence or not but last night around 4am we had a break in at our building 76 Engert Ave, a group of young Hispanic teens buzzed their way into our building and took over our lobby (no doorman or anything) and ran down to our storage units and stole a bike and large box of containing personal items to one of the tenants here. I recovered the box but the bike is gone. Called the cops, they came and I went with them to indentify the kids since I only saw their backs as they were running and they were teenage Hispanic kids, the cop kept asking them what they were doing all the way over here and I heard one of them say they were at a party…..

If there is a lesson to be learned here it is: if you live in a building such as this do NOT blindly buzz people in.Have your guests call when they arrive and then buzz them in— or better yet: meet them in the lobby and let them in personally. While this may seen like an inconvenience, the fact is it will help prevent opportunistic crimes such this. What’s more, this is not just about property. It is about protecting the personal safety of your friends and neighbors. Be a good neighbor: keep a watchful eye on who gains access to your building.

Miss Heather