Crime Free Multi-Housing Program

The Corcoran Police Department’s Crime Free Multi-Housing Program is designed to assist the community by forming a coalition of those committed to a safer environment, including law enforcement, businesses and apartment owners, managers and tenants. The Crime Free Multi-Housing Program is divided into five phases. It will be facilitated by the Corcoran Police Department.

PHASE 1

Participating complex owners and managers attend an eight-hour training seminar, after which they will receive a certificate of completion. The training covers property management, legal issues, the eviction process, how to reduce civil liability, tenant screening, fire safety, crime prevention through environmental design, working with law enforcement, an introduction to the Crime Free Lease Addendum and how to market manager/owner participation to increase tenant occupancy.

PHASE 2

Participating complexes are inspected by a member of the Police Department along with a staff member from the complex. The crime prevention through environmental design protocol is used, which is geared toward safety and environmental design rather than code enforcement. This includes checking for adequate lighting, fire extinguishers, pool security, laundry room lighting, trash areas for fire hazards, graffiti, landscaping, clearly marked building and apartment numbers, dead bolts, peep holes, smoke detectors, window locks and porch lights. The goal is to improve the safety of the complex, but the suggested changes must be made for the complex to participate in the program.

PHASE 3

Once the complex has passed the crime prevention through environmental design inspection, it will be authorized to obtain and post signs which indicate participation in the Crime Free Multi-Housing Program. The Corcoran Police Department will issue these signs to each complex. These signs are made of high-grade aluminum so they will not rust and are approximately two feet in width and three feet in length. If at any time the complex fails to continue with the standards of the program, the signs will be removed. A certificate is issued to the complex at the completion of this phase.

PHASE 4

A tenant meeting is held at the participating complex. This meeting is designed to bring managers, tenants and law enforcement together to inform the tenants of the Crime Free Multi-Housing Program. At this meeting the Crime Free Lease Addendum is introduced to the tenants. This addendum advises tenants if they or any member of their family or guests participate in any criminal activity on the premises or allow their dwelling to be used to facilitate criminal activity, it will be considered a violation of their lease and good cause for termination of tenancy. Tenants will also have their lease terminated if they, any member of their family or guests participate in any activity that jeopardizes the health, safety and welfare of the landlord, his/her agent or other tenants or involves imminent serious property damage. Local crime prevention programs are also introduced at these meetings to insure everyone knows what programs are available to them. A second certificate is issued to the complex at the completion of this phase.

PHASE 5

To complete the program the complex is required to host one additional tenant meeting and one crime prevention through environmental design inspection within the next year. This is to insure the complex is keeping in touch with the tenants and insure the standards of the program are maintained. At the completion of phase five a final certificate is issued with an expiration date. This expiration date will help everyone remember the time constraints they are working within to conduct a tenant meeting and a complex inspection. This certificate is the only certificate, which has to be renewed on a yearly basis.