Crime prevention program to focus on apartments Encourages background checks, reporting suspicious behavior BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer Mayor John E. McCormac and Deputy Police Chief Philip DiNicola detailed the township's Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design [CPTED] program, geared to reduce crime and increase the safety and security at high-density residential housing facilities, last week. The program involves the partnership between the township's police department with the owners, operators and managers of the township's largest apartment complexes and multifamily dwellings. There are 26 of these complexes and dwellings. "By working together to increase safety at apartment buildings and multifamily facilities, we are creating a stable tenant base, which is good for business and for the township's economy," said McCormac, who added that the program is on a voluntary basis. The mayor said that the partnership would reduce the need for township police officers to respond to emergency calls for service, thus reducing public safety-related costs," he said. McCormac and DiNicola along with Capt. Robert Hubner and Lt. Thomas "Skip" Garley and council President and Ward 2 Councilman Richard Dalina held a press conference detailing the new program in front of a dozen or so apartment complex owners, operators and managers at Town Hall on Jan. 30. The township, according to Police Chief William Trenery, is the first community inMiddlesex County to implement the CPTED program. The program, recognized by the U.S. Department of Justice, has been implemented in communities across the country and has reported positive results in reducing crime and improving public safety at high-density apartment and housing facilities. The CPTED goals are to prevent crime by designing a physical environment that positively influences human behavior, and the theory's four basic principles involve natural access control, natural surveillance, territoriality and maintenance. "For the most part, the general public is the eyes and ears for the police department … we need all the eyes and ears that we can get," said DiNicola, who said the police department has established a special hotline, (732) 855-TIPS, for residents to report suspicious or criminal activity anonymously. "With this new program of screening tenants, it will make the apartment complexes a much safer place to live in," he said. "The owners will be able to report suspicious activities that their complexes may have and know what cars belong there and don't belong there." DiNicola added that the police department receives calls from prospective tenants of the various apartment complexes in the township. "A crime prevention complex would show these tenants that you care for them," he said. "When these prospective tenants call us up, we can't provide false facts." Under the direction of Hubner, police security experts will provide a three-part crime prevention program to apartment managers and staff. The program will include an "environmental survey," management training for realty managers and staff, and community awareness. The "environmental survey" will focus on the physical layout of the apartment complex and will evaluate the effectiveness, density and placement of outside lighting; identify dark, shadowy and potentially dangerous areas; identify the need to remove or trim shrubbery and ground cover to no more than 3 feet in height; evaluate the effectiveness of window and door locks; evaluate the availability of security devices such as peep holes in interior doors, designed to allow for the identification of visitors; determine the visibility of address numbers; and ensure compliance with security, fire and building codes. The management training will include crime-prevention and risk-management procedures; property management and police relations; rental applications, screening and background checks; lease and lease addendums procedures; and overall benefits of the program. The mayor said the apartment complex owners would work with the police department to conduct full criminal background checks. "It would be up to the owners on who they would screen out," said McCormac. "Nothing is set in stone, but obviously it will be reasonable. A person who makes a mistake when they're 18 years old will not be kept from getting an apartment when he is 50 years old." Hubner and Garley said they would be more than willing to meet with tenants and hold neighborhood watch meetings and would provide neighborhood watch signs. "We talk about safety a lot … we tell people to lock their doors, to leave their television on when they are not home; we want to stop something from getting to another level," said Garley. The lieutenant also mentioned that if apartment complex owners see any suspicious vehicles, they should report it to the police department. "There was an incident in Franklin Township where there was a car parked for two to three months in the same spot and by the time the apartment complex finally decided to take the car out, they found a lady that was murdered and chopped up inside the car," he said. Garley said location is key for criminals, and the program would help prevent these criminals from coming in and committing some of these crimes. David Weisbrot, who is the property manager of Atlantic Realty Corp. and attended the press conference, said that for many years they have had their own security company for the nine complexes that the corporation owns. "This program will make sure that our tenants are in a safe environment," he said. "This is very good for business." Atlantic Realty Corp., which is owned by David and Jack Halpern, is the largest operator of apartment and multi-family residential facilities in the township. The corporation operates Florida Grove Manor, Woodbridge Terrace, Gill Lane Village, Green Hollow, Woodbridge Village, Colonial Gardens, Cloverleaf, Forest View and Evergreen apartment complexes. The managers and staff of Atlantic Realty properties have received the twohour training for the program and are actively participating in the program. Additionally, Capitol Management Corp., owners and operators of Bristol Apartments, Hamilton Apartments, Kensington Gardens and Menlo Park Apartments have indicated their support for the initiative and have agreed to participate in the program. For more information about the program, contact Hubner at (732) 602-7342.