Break-In Raises Serious Security Questions
Is our building doing enough to protect residents? A recent burglary has raised urgent questions about security, oversight, and accountability that remain unanswered.
Brought to you by Drew McManus, your neighbor in 7908.
A burglary reported in Loop North News by Steven Dahlman on May 1, 2025, has raised urgent questions about building security and key access protocols at 175 E Delaware Pl. More than $40,000 worth of jewelry and designer goods were stolen from a resident’s unit between March 16 and March 29.
The article reveals the suspect may have used a key to enter the unit. Since then, a building employee has been dismissed and the board approved a $51,000 expense for a new key management system.
What owners have not received is any clear explanation of how the previous system failed or why it took a burglary for these changes to be made.
Residents deserve straight answers and meaningful accountability. Here’s what is known so far, and what still needs to be addressed.
What We Know
- A resident returned from a trip in late March to discover six high-value items missing from their bedroom and bedside drawer.
- Their security camera captured footage of a man in a light blue uniform entering their unit using a key.
- The suspect looked directly at the camera before the footage stopped recording.
- The suspect has not been arrested, but a building employee is believed to be connected and has since been terminated.
- No official statement or security update was sent to owners, even after media coverage emerged weeks later.
- The board quickly approved a $51,000 expense for a new key system, with no explanation of what failed in the old system or if they are confident no copies were made of master or unit keys.
What Has Not Been Answered
Although the new key system is now in motion, major concerns remain unaddressed:
- Owners have not been told what specific vulnerabilities in the old system allowed an unauthorized entry to occur undetected.
- There has been no confirmation of whether personal items belonging to other residents were found in the possession or workspace of the former employee suspected in this case.
The last item is critical as it could suggest additional break-ins or access violations that potential victim(s) may not be aware of. Every resident has a right to know whether their home may also have been compromised.
Why This Matters
That trust is tested when a suspected staff member uses a key to enter someone’s home without permission, and residents only learn about it from a news article instead of hearing directly from leadership.
Further complicating the situation is the ongoing renewal of the management contract, which has yet to be subjected to a competitive bidding process.
Despite the serious concerns around key management and overall security, the committee, chaired by the board president, has refused to engage a competitive bidding process and instead, is single sourcing the contract to the current management company. This lack of competition raises additional questions about accountability and the board’s commitment to protecting residents.
This is not about pointing fingers. It is about ensuring no resident ever has to wonder if their home is secure. That begins with answers. It continues with accountability.
What Happens Next
I sent a detailed list of questions via email to 175 E Delaware Pl. HOA Board President, Scott Timmerman. His replies will be crucial for owners as they will want to read those responses. And we will be watching to see whether the answers bring clarity or simply more confusion.
The best way to rebuild trust is to speak plainly, share the facts, and treat this moment with the seriousness it deserves.
A follow-up article will be published if Timmerman provides a response, and his reply will be included for owners to review in full.
Drew
Subject: Questions Regarding Building Security and Recent Burglary
Dear Scott,
I’m writing in response to the Loop North News article dated May 1, 2025, reporting a burglary at 175 E Delaware Place involving over $40,000 in stolen items from a resident’s unit. The article notes the intruder appeared to use a key to access the unit, and building staff are suspected.
In the wake of this incident, the Board rushed through a $51,000 expenditure for a new key management system, without disclosing to owners any explanation of how the existing system failed or what broader risks exist.
Beyond seeking answers from the Board, this incident raises serious questions about the conduct and accountability of the senior managers at our HOA’s management company, who bear direct responsibility for overseeing key security and staff access to owner units.
- Security System Failure: What specific failure in the current key or access control system prompted its replacement? If a written report, internal memo, or consultant recommendation exists, please provide it.
- Disclosure to Owners: Why was this failure not disclosed to owners prior to approving the $51,000 expenditure? Owners deserve to know what vulnerabilities existed and what the board is doing to address them.
- Security Audit: Why didn’t the Association initiate an independent third-party audit of the building’s key management, fob controls, and unit access procedures before purchasing a $51,000 digital key management service? Is an audit currently underway and if not, why and when will one be initiated?
- Additional Break-ins: Was there any evidence that the former employee suspected in this burglary accessed or stole from other units? For example, were any personal items belonging to residents found in their locker, work area, or possession? Have there been any other known or suspected unauthorized unit entries, thefts, or related incidents within the last 12 months?
- Key Copying Risk: Has the management company conducted an investigation into whether master keys or unit keys may have been copied or retained by current or former staff? If not, why not? If so, what were the findings?
- Management Accountability and Contract Renewal: What actions or retraining have been implemented at the management company for the senior staff who oversaw key security? Who specifically held responsibility for this area, and what consequences have they faced? Please also explain why you as board president and serving as chair of the contract renewal committee, decline to initiate a competitive bidding process for management services despite this serious breach in security under the current management company’s oversight. Why should owners have confidence in renewing a contract with a vendor currently under scrutiny for a preventable failure in securing resident units using a no-bid award process?
- Rekeying Costs: Given that the management company is contractually and professionally obligated to secure unit access, has the board asked the company to reimburse or fully cover the cost of rekeying all residential units? If not, why has this not been pursued? Please also identify the estimated total cost of building-wide rekeying. Do you believe owners or the HOA bear that burden or is that the responsibility of the management company?
- Resident Notification Policy: Will the board adopt a written policy requiring residents to be notified within 24 hours of any verified security breach affecting private units? Please confirm whether this will be scheduled for a vote at the next meeting.
These are questions every owner has a right to ask, and receive clear answers to, especially when their personal safety, property, and trust are at stake. I request a full and written response to each question. If any answers are pending, please provide a specific timeline by which they will be made available to all residents.
Sincerely,
Drew McManus
7908