Observations of Building Entrance Doors in NYCHA Developments Located in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, and Staten Island

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The above-mentioned final reports present findings related to exterior door security at New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) developments, based on observations made throughout the five boroughs between July 10, 2018 and August 29, 2018.

Report Findings and Conclusions

Auditors visited 299 NYCHA developments throughout New York City and observed conditions of 4,551 exterior doors, finding that over 1,000 entrance, side, and rear doors were physically propped open with ropes and chains, damaged with broken latches and missing parts, or otherwise left unsecured, compromising residents’ security and exposing buildings’ interiors to damaging weather conditions.  Moreover, 61 NYCHA developments were observed to have more than half of their exterior doors unsecured, and nearly half of all entrance doors citywide did not have security cameras to monitor conditions.

The auditors’ building-by-building review of NYCHA’s exterior door security was conducted in July and August 2018, finding:

• Auditors visited 299 developments citywide, pushing or pulling on over 4,551 exterior building doors – and found that 195 developments were affected by unsecured doors:
• 62 percent of Bronx developments had at least one door unsecured; including 14 developments where over half of the doors were open to intruders.
• 73 percent of Brooklyn developments had at least one door unlocked; including 13 developments where over half of the doors were open to intruders.
• 59 percent of Manhattan developments had at least one door unlocked; including 32 developments where over half of the doors were open to intruders.
• 67 percent of Queens developments had at least one door unlocked; including 2 developments where over half of the doors were open to intruders.
• 89 percent of Staten Island developments had at least one door unlocked; no developments had more than half their doors open.
• Citywide, 1,023 building doors were broken, tampered with, or unlockable, leaving developments open to intruders, including roughly 23 percent of all front doors and 21 percent of all rear or side doors.
• In Manhattan, 37 percent of the developments’ 761 front doors were open and 33 percent of 269 rear or side doors were unlocked;
• In the Bronx, 24 percent of the developments’ 767 front doors were open and 20 percent of 276 rear or side doors were unlocked;
• In Staten Island, 19 percent of the developments’ 108 front doors were open and 21 percent of 28 rear or side doors were unlocked;
• In Queens, 18 percent of the developments’ 470 front doors were open and 9 percent of 81 rear or side doors were unlocked; and,
• In Brooklyn, 17 percent of the developments’ 1,432 front doors were open and 14 percent of 359 rear or side doors were unlocked.
• Auditors also searched for security cameras by front doors, and found that just 53 percent (1,887) of all 3,538 entrance doors had cameras placed by the entrance.

Report Recommendations

Based on the findings from these observations, the reports recommend that NYCHA:

• Repair or replace all damaged exterior doors identified in this review and equip them with sturdy, functional hardware;
• Regularly inspect all exterior doors and maintain all doors and locks in good working order;
• Ensure that security cameras are operational and located at all publicly accessible entrances and exits; and,
• Conduct a top-to-bottom review of its security and maintenance systems and procedures to ensure that when exterior doors are obstructed or unsecured, maintenance staff are made immediately aware of the conditions, and the doors are promptly fixed.