
Jst MaLika Asha'
Here at JstMaLikaAsha' one can find original multimedia stories from real events written by me, along with radio broadcasts from my former radio shows "A LITTLE LOVE IN THE AFTERNOON" AND "LOOK UP RADIO".
College Apartment Safety Was Never Guranteed
“It was five in the morning and I woke up to a loud BOOM coming from outside my door. My roommate and I jumped out of bed and right outside our window, we saw bounty hunters bursting through our neighbor’s front door,” says Desiree Jones, a former resident of the University Ridge Apartments. In the days following the arrest of her neighbor, Jones says management never came to seal the broken door resulting in all the neighbor’s belongings being stolen. This caused Jones and other residents to question management’s priority of tenant safety.
Crime and violence at off campus housing has raised a concern for many college students within the past few years. There have been many reports on burglaries, shootings, and petty crimes that has taken place in apartments surrounding the campus area. Students are left to feel worried and a sense of unsafety when these type events happen. The priority of safety to apartment complex property managers seems as no priority at all in the eyes of many residents. Proper preparation prevents poor performance. Though, certain crimes cannot be prevented, upgraded security measures may be able to lessen safety concerns for residents. The protocol these apartment complexes have in place do not always guarantee residents will be safe. However, it is a start to decrease the crime and ease the minds of residents.
After their first few semesters living on campus, some students feel it is necessary to move to off-campus housing. These apartments are considered a home away from home for these students. Unfortunately for some, crime in their apartments have left them uneasy. Stories like that of Desiree Jones are becoming all too common. If safety is more prioritized within management, there is a possibility that crime rates may decrease in many student apartment facilities throughout the Murfreesboro Area.
Safety
Laura Heringlake, a property manager at East Main Quarters Apartments, explained the word “safety” is a scary word for a property manager to discuss. When asked by potential tenants if the property is a safe place, Heringlake says they can’t answer that question due to Fair Housing Laws. However, they can offer what they consider amenities which are cameras, lighting, security patrol, and parking passes.
According to hud.gov, “Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Fair Housing Act), as amended, prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of dwellings, and in other housing- related transactions, because of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, and disability.”
This poses an issue for some tenants because the Fair Housing Law does not directly explain why safety is such a “scary” word. It essentially does not touch on safety. Where properties forfeit the responsibility of guaranteeing safety to residents lies in an extensive clause in every lease. A lease from Student Quarters Rutherford and Aspen Heights both have a very similar excerpt regarding safety. In the event cameras or other security devices are installed, they are not monitored on a 24-hour basis. Each resident and their guest(s), invitee(s), is responsible for protecting his or her own person and property. These are just a few stipulations listed in both leases from different properties.
Crime
In 2017, Murfreesboro Police identified the apartment complexes they received calls from the most. College Grove apartments came in first place with over 220 calls to police within the first five months of the year from shots fired, thefts, to burglary. The police were called to The Vie 187 times during the same time frame for similar instances. Many unreported instances also occur regularly. Alexis Hatchett, a resident of Aspen Heights details her account of a several break ins in one week that management never notified the residents of.
“I only knew about the break ins because I knew one of the people whose home was broken into. The other burglary was my neighbor and his car was broken into overnight,” says Hatchett.
Conclusion
Recurring crimes cannot be stopped however, there can be more awareness to safety regarding college student apartments. Although, these unfortunate crimes took place in recent years, there can be change overtime with more safety procedures intact. It goes a long way to keep property managers and officers informed on upgraded security measures. These techniques may not prevent situations from occurring, but it gives individuals the opportunity to be aware of their surroundings and apartment community.