Performer Safety Awareness - Part V
By Holdon Log, LLC

(Note: This article is Part Five of a Six Part Series. Please click here if you missed Part Four.)

Many performers are graduating the next few months with hopes of making the move to (one of) the BIG cities to pursue their career and so we wanted to make sure that we offered some Safety Awareness Tips on what to do when you are looking for a place to live. Your home, whether it is in a boarding house, apartment, condo, etc. should be a comfortable and safe place for you. Here are some things to look out for before you sign your rental agreement or lease.

Web Research...

Most city police departments report crime statistics online. Search for your city name and police to find a local Web site. You can also look at the FBI's national registry of sex offenders to determine how many sexual predators live in your area. You'll be amazed. You should also visit the Web sites of the local police to check out the recent crime reports to determine how safe your potential location is. Look for housing in the safest location that you can afford.

Security!

If it’s your first time living away from your parents consider living with a roommate or two or in a building where there’s a doorman, buzz in entrance, or security on premise. This will help you in being aware of your surroundings and things that can happen when you are living in a big city.

Regardless of whether you choose to have a roommate or not, you should have someone that you call and check in with at least once a week and after auditions, bookings, networking events, etc. just so that they know you made it home safely.

If you choose to live in an apartment, before you move in you should request that your locks be changed. You never know if the previous resident had copies of their keys made for friends.

 

Once you've moved in, never leave your door unlocked -- even if you're just running down the hall to dump your trash or drop off something at your neighbor's apartment. It only takes seconds for an intruder to enter your apartment.

Directory Listing...

When you move in, you'll be asked how you want your name to appear in the resident directory, the window beside your doorbell and your listing in the local phone directory. Do not post your first and last name if you are female it can immediately identify you as a single woman living alone. Instead, list your first initial and last name. However, you should ask the management how the single men have chosen to identify themselves. Do they list just their first initials and last names? If so, list yours the same way. If they haven't, an intruder may quickly assume that names listed with first initials are women. So you might choose to list your name as “L. & N. Smith” so that it seems like two people occupy the space.

Thoughts On Mail...

Take a look at the mailboxes in the lobby. Are the contents visible through any slots? If so, cover them up with a piece of paper on the inside of the box.

Does your apartment have a mail slot on the front door? Do the same thing -- cover it. An intruder can lift up the cover and quickly determine if anyone's at home.

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More Performer Safety Awareness tips will be coming soon! If you have something to add after reading this article, please feel free to email us at safety@HoldonLog.com and let us know some other safety ideas for a future Performer Safety Awareness follow-up article.