(COLUMBIA, MO) -
Five student housing complexes were recognized last week for their successful completion of all three phases of the Crime Free Multi-Housing program.
Aria Luxury Apartments, Midtown by Brookside, Brookside Downtown, Townhomes by Brookside, and Brookside Downtown on Elm were the first housing complexes in Columbia this year to be fully certified. During development of these properties, owners Jon and Nathan Odle sought security consulting from Eric Meyer, Owner and Lead Investigator at E Law and Associates. Meyer, being a former Columbia Police Department Captain, was aware of the Crime Free Multi-Housing program and assisted the properties in starting the process.
"All the students that come here are important to me as if they were my children," said Meyer. "This is the way the management and owners view this. They view this as a safe place, the safest we can provide."
Developed in 1992, the Crime Free Multi-Housing program takes a multi-faceted approach to crime prevention and includes a unique coalition of police, property managers, and residents of rental properties. The Columbia Police Department designates one community liaison officer to organize and provide training for the program. Officer Amy Bishop was selected in 2015 to fill this role and serve at the Office of Neighborhood Services.
"It encourages the police department, as well as the property managers to work hand-in-hand to create a safe environment for all the community of residents that live in their apartments," says Officer Bishop.
Officer Bishop hopes awareness of the Crime Free Multi-Housing program and the benefits it brings will lead more properties to become certified. The next Crime Free Multi-Housing phase one training is scheduled for Wednesday, January 25th from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Columbia Police Department Regional Training Center, 5001 East Meyer Industrial Drive. To register visit: http://www.como.gov/police/crime-free-multi-housing-program/, or call (573) 874-7426.
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