TAMPA — Tampa Police say the best way to help stop crime in apartment complexes is a collaboration with those who run them and those who live there.
“We always say that the community and us do the crime fight together. We can't solve crime. We can't make cities safe without the help of the community,” said Tampa Police Assistant Chief Ruben Delgado.
Police are working with apartment management as part of its Tampa S.A.F.E. Communities program.
They will teach management how to access public crime records so they know what’s happening on their property.
TPD will also come out to locations and do a safety assessment.
Jessica Rivera says she already works with police at some of the complexes she manages.
“They will talk to me about areas of the property I need to keep an eye on. What issues they think. What areas that need to be watched higher such as keeping the gates working at all times. Watching the traffic flow,” said Rivera.
Just hours before police had their first training session planned, there were two separate shootings at Tampa apartment complexes.
Rivera says it is challenging to manage a large property with so many people coming and going.
“It’s not often the residents. It’s their guests. And so a lot of times it's keeping the guests off the properties because they’re not signing the leases. They don’t feel responsible for the actions,” said Rivera.
TPD’s S.A.F.E Communities Program will also focus on neighborhood watch and business watch.
