Lincoln Property Company (opens in new window) wishes to take this opportunity to express its concern for our tenants and their employees regarding the various criminal activities to which each of us is exposed on a daily basis. Conditions encouraging criminal activities prevail in densely populated places, such as the greater metropolitan Washington area. As a result, persons residing and working here receive greater exposure to all types of potential criminal activity.

To reduce crime, emphasis must be placed on preventive rather than reactive measures. Preventive measures against office thefts, unauthorized activities, and crimes against persons can best be achieved through the individual efforts of tenants and their employees. To minimize incidents, it is important you establish and periodically review policies, procedures, rules and regulations as a means of preventing losses and identifying wrongdoing. All employees must understand the importance of their part in helping to ensure a more safe and secure working environment. With these thoughts in mind, we offer the attached guidelines for reducing the criminal's opportunity of selecting your business or employee as a victim.

Please note the building management does not provide security services to or for any tenant of 400-444 North Capitol Street. Contracts for security services are on behalf of the building owners for services in the public (common) areas only and for protection of their interests.

All criminal activities should be reported immediately to the police. It is the tenant's responsibility to notify the police of all incidents no matter how small since they may be able to ascertain certain information which may be useful in their investigation. We recommend that you call the District Police Office Theft Unit at 202.727.1010 to report a theft. Immediately thereafter, please notify the Security Director at 202.347.6017 so this person may coordinate an in-house investigation.

The Security Director will contact the tenant reporting the incident to determine the details of the incident for use in his investigation. The Security Officers are not police officers and are therefore unarmed. Criminal incidents that occur in a tenant space should be investigated by the District Police. We will assist in any investigation in every possible way.

It is imperative that the above procedures be followed after a theft, as a delay decreases any chance of recovery of the lost item(s) or apprehension of a suspect. The building management strongly recommends that tenants lock their doors at the end of the day and always have a person stationed near any unlocked doors during business hours.

Crime Prevention Guidelines

1. Check doors to make sure they lock securely.
2. All keys, including a card key for access, should be issued on a need-only basis. Employees should sign for keys as a control measure and be instructed never to loan their keys for any reason. Assign a person to be responsible for key issuing and for key recovery from terminating employees. If an access card was issued to a terminating employee, a report to the access control company for cancellation of that employee's card number should be filed. If a suite door key is lost or stolen, you may wish to replace the lock cylinder. Contact the Management Office if such replacement is contemplated.
3. Receptionists are the first line of control in recognizing a potential intruder. Therefore, it is important the receptionist be responsible and properly trained. Reception desks should never be left unattended while your office door is open.
4. Visitors, guests and applicants for employment should never be allowed beyond the receptionist desk without an escort. If the situation warrants, require I.D. tags for employees and visitors in your leased space. Arrange in advance with the Security Director for after-hours visitors to the building; give their name and expected time of arrival. Advise visitors of the correct procedure for building entry during these hours. Authorized persons should understand that they must follow the proper entry procedure on each occasion in order to maintain the integrity and proper continuity of loss prevention procedures.
5. Persons announcing a delivery, pick-up, repair or service of equipment should be identified upon entering your suite and escorted. It may be advisable to appoint a person as coordinator of these functions.
6. Report suspicious persons or activity immediately to the Security Director. The police and fire department emergency number is 911 for all local jurisdictions. Also report persons loitering in a public corridor, elevator, garages, restrooms, stairways; unknown persons in your leased space; the trying of several doors to other spaces, etc. Employees should report:
   1. Building address and floor.
      
   2. Specific description of individual including clothing worn.
      With an accurate description the police will be able to enter this information in the National Criminal Information Center computer, accessible by all U.S. law enforcement agencies. In the event items are found or recovered in the course of any police investigation, they can be confiscated and returned to the legal owner.
7. Do not accept bargains for sale by strangers. The merchandise may be stolen. Immediately notify the Security Director when there are solicitors in the building. Solicitors are not allowed in the building.
8. Employees should keep purses and small, easily concealed items of value under lock when not in their immediate control. Do not leave small office equipment (calculators, recorders, etc.) visible on desks and tables in unoccupied offices. Also, it is important not to place purses under desks, on floors of restaurants, theaters or restroom stalls, Employees on crowded elevators should be especially alert to the possibility of being victim of a pickpocket. Whenever possible, women should use their purses with a flap or snap closure turned inward toward the body. Men should carry wallets in an inside coat pocket or front pants pocket.
9. Employees should be informed if a door routinely kept locked should be tested on each occasion to be certain it has latched closed and locked. This is also important for the safety of fellow employees using restroom facilities in public corridors.
   
10. Doors to stairways, corridors or exits must be latched closed at all times. This is a fire protection requirement and also helps maintain the integrity of the preventive measures designed to restrict intruder access to certain limited areas. Be conscious upon entering your suite prior to regular business hours (when a receptionist is not on duty) that your suite door handle is locked from outside and has latched securely behind you. This is also applicable for after-hours work hours and for closing the office. If your office suite entrance door has a dead bolt lock, use it.
    
11. Keep seldom used or unoccupied offices locked.
    
12. Keep desks, file cabinets, safes, etc. locked when not in use, especially in unoccupied offices.
    
13. Before closing at the end of the business day, check to be sure there are no unauthorized individuals in the office.

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