Program aims to reduce crime in Pomona apartment complexes

Close to two years ago, Irene Medrano became the manager of the Metropolitan, an apartment complex that had crime problems.

Medrano and her staff have made significant changes at the 472-unit complex on East Third Street, but there is still work to do, she said.

So when Medrano heard of the Crime Free Multi-Housing Program, which offers property owners and managers tools to operate safe complexes, she signed up.

"This program is so much of a support," said Medrano, who recently completed the first phase of the program.

The city hopes the program will help it have better prepared landlords, less crime at apartment complexes as well as "better maintained properties and happier tenants," said John Kimbro, city code compliance manager.

Although the program is new to the city, it is not a new concept, the city's program coordinator, Teri Baker, said.

The program has been successfully used throughout the country to address problematic apartment complexes.

Even complexes considered to be problem free have benefitted from having such a program, Baker said.

The program consists of three phases.

-- Training property owners and managers. This will better prepare the managers to screen potential tenants, legally use criminal background checks and have a strong grasp of topics such as fair housing regulations and the rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants, Baker said.

-- Completing inspections of participating apartment complexes. Using crime prevention through environmental design principles, complexes are checked to make sure they have adequate safety lighting, landscaping where a criminal can't hide and properly locked gates, among other things.

-- Bringing together residents for a social meeting, which is designed to explain the program.
Once landlords complete all three components, they are able to post signs identifying their complexes as part of the program and can mention that on their promotional materials, Baker said.

Landlords will also be invited to take part in quarterly meetings and learn about resources available to them as well as network with other people in their field, Baker said.

The program is expected to attract people to complexes enrolled in the program and keep away criminals, she said.

"It may deter them from even asking for an application," Baker said.

As the program takes root in a complex, it becomes safer as resident turn-over decreases, which will result in a more stable resident base, she said.

At the core of the program is the crime-free lease addendum, a document tenants sign committing to refrain from engaging in criminal activity on the property.

Tenants agree they will not permit other members of their household or guests to take part in illegal behavior on the property.

Timothy Zehring, who created the program while he was a member of the Mesa Police Department in Arizona, said the idea for the program was sparked after he and other officers found themselves repeatedly responding to the same complexes where the same people were creating problems.

The program is not meant to turn landlords into members of law enforcement, Zehring said.

Instead, landlords learn to spot problems early on and use the tools and resource available to them that will allow them to create a positive living environment for tenants, he said.

"By dealing with a problem immediately, you don't let it fester and become worse," said Zehring, who last year retired from law enforcement but who is still involved in the Crime Free Multi--Housing program.

Zehring said he used the program in complexes with low-income residents as well as in those occupied by residents of moderate income and upper income. 

Complexes with high crime saw reductions of as much as 90 percent, he said.

Complexes considered relatively crime-free still saw a 25 to 30 percent drop in crime, Zehring said.

In Pomona, efforts made in the past to establish the program were unsuccessful, said Benita DeFrank, the city's housing manager.

The idea to establish the program in the city was sparked in 2008 after a group -- which included representatives from the city's housing division, Police Department, residents and a council member -- attended a community-oriented policing seminar where participants talked about the program, she said.

After learning more about the program, DeFrank along with Richelle<NO1>(cq)<NO> Baptista, police services administrator for the Pomona Police Department, worked to establish the program.

Support from other city departments contributed to making it come together, DeFrank said.
"It really has been a collaborative effort," she said.

Although the focus of the program is larger multi-housing complexes, owners or managers of complexes with four units or more can participate, Baker said.

Even the most seasoned property managers can benefit from bringing the program to their complexes, Medrano said.

If more property owners and managers enroll in the program, "Pomona can be a much better place," Medrano said.

To have a healthy business responsible owners and managers want satisfied tenants, she said.

"For people to feel happy, that's how you make your business," Medrano said.

Programs such as this one will not only help improve the image of her complex but attract responsible tenants who will stay for a long time and invite others to move in as well, she said.