DEMANDING ADEQUATE SECURITY
For many years, Equity Residential has provided almost no security at 3003 Van Ness. There is no security guard, little screening of visitors at the main entrance, exterior doors propped open, locks broken, and an extremely old and insufficient security camera system.
For these reasons, the Van Ness South Tenants Association has devoted hundreds of hours working to force Equity Residential to take security seriously, to install a fully functioning security camera system, to fix broken doors and locks, and to hire a 24/7 security guard. The tenants association also has produced a formal report about Equity’s failure to provide adequate security at 3003 Van Ness, and it has published a list of recommendations for improving security to make the building safer for all residents.
Crime has increased dramatically in the Van Ness area over the past three years, while it has dropped almost everywhere else in the city. According to data from the DC Metropolitan Police, in 2021, the number or crimes at 3003 Van Ness was more than six times higher than in the nearby coop building and more than 15 times higher in the nearby condo building, which are part of the larger Van Ness apartment complex.
In December 2021, a resident or 3003 Van Ness was stabbed by a visitor — the police report that the outdated security camera system failed to capture any images of the perpetrator. Despite pleas from the tenant association, Equity Residential management has yet to announce a response to the incident, apart from temporarily adding a part-time security guard. Other violent incidents also have occurred at 3003 Van Ness.
When a serious problem occurs, Equity Residential’s primary response is to advise residents they contact DC Metropolitan Police. The company makes insufficient attempts to alert residents about crimes on the property, forcing the tenants association to warn its members and other residents via its listserv and posters placed in public areas.
The tenants association and individual tenants have complained to Equity Residential management many times, including these actions:
June 2017 letter — requesting increased security in response to a rash of break-ins at 3003 Van Ness
July 2019 letter — requesting action to improve security following an attempted strangulation in the building lobby and an accounting of numerous security failures.
February 2021 letter — requesting a full-time security guard at a garage door that has been broken for weeks
December 2021 email — demanding improved security following a stabbing at 3003 Van Ness
January 2022 — several meetings with Equity Residential management about security concerns, before Equity refused to schedule future meetings.
In addition, the tenants association has been in contact with the DC Metropolitan Police many times and has hosted meetings with MPD officers about how to guard against crime at 3003 Van Ness.
Because of widespread security lapses at 3003 Van Ness, the tenants association has been forced to take photos of broken locks and doors and other security vulnerabilities, and to make formal complaints to the property city authorities.
