Controversial lock box ordinance on Cedar Falls City Council agenda

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- Monday marks the last chance for opponents of an ordinance requiring key lock boxes outside businesses and some apartment buildings.

The City Council is scheduled to vote on the third and final reading of an ordinance adopting the 2009 International Fire Code. Part of that code specifies the fire chief can require lock boxes for emergency access to keys to buildings.

The Cedar Falls ordinance would require lock boxes be installed on commercial buildings and apartment buildings with three or more separate units. Since 2004 the city has required the boxes for commercial buildings with alarm systems and apartment buildings with six or more units.

Opponents of the ordinance have mounted a spirited opposition to its adoption. They have established a website, circulated a petition and produced a video to fight against the ordinance. Those opponents claim the lock box requirement is a potential security issue and an expensive, unfair requirement for businesses.

Read more: http://wcfcourier.com/news/local/article_3e49766a-513c-58e8-b1e6-0b43a003f6f9.html

i'm glad we had it too.

Right? How about lock boxes on individual houses?

:eyes: dude. if the building is on fire -- or there is some serious emergency -- you really do want the fire department to be able to get to you.
or your children -- or your grandparents -- or even your pets.

I've seen it done and I've done it myself. Those piddly locks and deadbolts are to keep the honest people honest. A determined burglar with a crow-bar, or fireman with an axe, can make quick work of 99% of doors.

Just last week, we had a fire in a building behind me. One of the tenants described how he heard pounding on his door - by the time he got out of bed, the firemen had kicked his door open.

I'm not completely against the idea and I understand SOME doors are made burglar proof. Although, most of the burglar proof cages I've seen people build are on single family residences which wouldn't be under the statutes here. Even those burglar-proof cages can be defeated.

I don't want the police to have access to my house. I don't want the hurdle they have to cross to be merely a turn of the key if they want in my house. No, I would rather they need a warrant or kick the door open old-school and then have to explain the damage and themselves.

Just watch an episode of cops if you have forgotten all the ways cops skirt the constitution and conduct illegal searches. Why do you think the 4th amendment advocates recommends locking your car door as you exit after being asked to step out of the car? Cops WILL conduct an illegal search and then claim YOU authorized it - at that point, it's your word against professional liars. At least if they damage your door on entry you can prove you didn't authorize the search.

if there was a fire in our electrical room -- you couldn't get through it with an axe.

i don't share your fear of the fire department.
& citizens need to be more involved to insure their police don't act out -- period.

No offense but: :rofl:


Yeah, you can see all the outrage over warrant-less searches of our bank accounts using the patriot act. What's the annual figure up to now? Half a million inquires made? We have a half million potential muslin terrorists every year now? Yeah, people are marching in the streets over THAT one. LOL

But people "feel safe"

What about GPS phone records? There are so many records requests the phone companies have set up web access for the police. Gee, I wonder how many requests are made from crooked cops stalking ex girlfriends or ex-wives? Ever known a woman going through a divorce with a cop? I have.

Cops lie. It's what they do. They violate the 4th amendment - they're trained to do it and get away with it.

but a key to get into multiple unit buildings to use in emegencies?
i'm not that afraid of my government.

But I don't trust cops as far as I can throw them. Sorry, I've know too many of them over the years.

The local cop is where the rubber meets the road when your rights are concerned.

It was HILARIOUS. The future owner spent thousands of dollars on these doors that could be defeated by a box cutter and a hammer. How? Simple, the rest of the house was stick framed with vinyl siding. Behind the siding was only that insulating styrofoam board. So I could ignore the door, move 3 feet right or left and cut through the wall with little more than a box cutter and a claw hammer.

The door makers must have loved it though.

It's the only window accessible without a ladder as I live on the third floor of a three story condo. My neighbors reacted as if I was crazy. My response was if a thief wants in, he is not going to make a commotion breaking a 36 inch wide window. A small pry-bar or good kick to the door will make short work of it. I know, because I've done it....

A few years ago, there was an incident which I'm not too proud of, which involved some beer, whiskey, vicodin, a burrito and our back door kicked open with the frame splintered all over the kitchen floor.

have been doing ad hominem attacks on supporters, i.e. of a foreign-born councilman who supports the ordinance, "Why does this accented foreigner have any say" etc., etc.

I live in this town. My daughter rents an apartment here near the university. I am glad that it is already protected by these lock boxes. The current ordinance requires units with six or more units to have the lock boxes; the proposed ordinance reduces it to three.

To me, it seems that much of the opposition comes from the expense. I don't get that - they'll just pass it on to the renters anyway. They bitched like hell thirty years ago when they started to be required to put in smoke alarms and fire extinguishers. Most of the landlords here don't give a damn about the safety or security of their renters, they just want to collect that $$$ at the beginning of the month.

Or boiler rooms in multi unit buildings - not just the people.
The landlords are being silly.

but I am more than happy to pay to replace my door if the fire department needs to get into my house. What I don't want is someone in authority coming into my house with a key and absolutely no way to prove they entered without my consent. Sorry I am a little old school about my rights. Folks in apartments deserve that level of rights as well. If I lived in an apartment, I would still think that way.