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Roswell Creek first in crime-free program
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| | | From left, Roswell Officer James Pitts, Councilwoman Lori Henry, Mayor Jere Wood, Roswell Creek Property Manager Susan Trotter and Police Chief Edwin Williams designate the apartment community the first in Roswell’s Crime Free Housing Program. Jason Wright. (click for larger version) | |
November 19, 2009
ROSWELL - As any look at the weekly Public Safety pages will tell you, a majority of violent and drug crimes in Roswell happens in the city's apartment complexes.
Now the Roswell Police Department and apartment property managers are striking back against the problem with the help of the Crime Free Housing Program. Roswell Creek became the first apartment complex in the city Nov. 13 to earn the designation.
That means Roswell Creek has worked with police to provide an overall safer environment for its residents and identify problem areas.
But how? Roswell Police Chief Edwin Williams said another community also in the program was having a problem: people kept kicking down its security fence, which it then had to replace over and over again.
"So we showed them how to install a fence they couldn't kick down or climb over," he said.
Roswell also holds classes for property managers so they know how the city can help them with problem residents — for instance, standing guard while violent people are being evicted. Police can't evict, said Williams, but they can keep the peace while an eviction is carried out.
It is all about opening lines of communications with the people who own and run apartment complexes.
"We're just closing that loop with this program," said Williams.
At a small ceremony to celebrate the achievement, Roswell Crime Free Multi-Family Housing Officer James Pitts said because First Communities, the company that manages Roswell Creek, chose to partner with the police over the last six months, 60 people were evicted due to criminal and other questionable
activity.
"That meant a drastic reduction in calls for service," said Pitts.
Roswell Mayor Jere Wood said Roswell Creek is not just the first community to achieve Crime Free Housing status in Roswell — it's the first in the metro Atlanta area.
"It's already working," he said. "It's making a huge impact into making this a safer community."
Susan Trotter, property manager for Roswell Creek, agreed.
"I think it's always great for the residents and the community to have this relationship with police," she said.
"We're showing we won't turn a blind eye."
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