Addison officials work to empower property owners
Twelve Addison rental property owners attended a Feb. 5 class as officials from the village's police department educated owners on how to make their properties safer and more desirable for residents.
Addison's Crime Free Multi Housing Program, part of the police department's Community Response Unit, began in 2009 with the goal of reducing crime in multifamily neighborhoods. Since the program's inception there has been a fifty-percent reduction in police calls for service from multi-housing locations.
"The goal of the Community Response Unit is to forge a working relationship with property owners by working together as a team," said Deputy Police Chief Sean Gilhooley, who heads the unit for the Addison Police Department.
Addison requires rental property owners to attend the four-hour class. More than 1,400 owners and landlords have participated in the program during its 13 years of operation.
The town of more than 35,000 residents has nearly 4,000 rental units. Police officers, trained as program instructors, teach the class.
Topics include crime prevention through environmental design, tenant background screening, gang awareness, narcotics trends, laws on controlled substances, landlord and tenant responsibilities, nuisance abatement, and the eviction process.
Instructor and Community Response Unit Officer Emilio Chiappetta warned owners to be cautious of prospective tenants "who say 'I need to move in tomorrow' or 'I will give you 6 months of rent in cash in advance'."
Hearing this tip, a Michael Lane owner commented he had the same experience with a prospective tenant. "Something didn't sound right," the owner said.
Chris, a property owner on Wrightwood Avenue, and former 40-year resident, said the class helped her learn about crime prevention. "I feel like it was well worth coming (to the class) and learning. Addison is a great place to live. I have seen the changes over time and it's always been an improvement," she said. Chris advised other property owners, "You invested money in those properties, take care of them."
Other phases of the program include an on-site property assessment by a trained police officer to inspect for such safety features as exterior lighting, properly maintained landscaping, door and window locking features and functioning smoke detectors.
After owners complete the first two phases of the program, there is "safety social" with residents from the rental property and police personnel to celebrate their achievement.
Two apartment complexes where owners completed all three phases of the program are College Park, 930 College Blvd., and Northgate Apartments, 900 N. Rohlwing Road.
"Every property owner should take this program," said Iqbal, a property owner on Kimberley Avenue, who intends to enroll in other phases of the program. "I will tell other (property owners) they should take this class," he said.
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