by Jeff Achen
Thisweek Newspapers

When Officer Mike Thelen noticed a pattern of police visits to a particular Apple Valley apartment complex not long ago, he decided to dedicate some time in between his other patrol duties to meeting with multi-family housing managers and tenants.

"I took the opportunity, went out, parked the squad. Eventually, people approached me," Thelen said.

The extra time to simply make himself available and known in the higher density community soon paid off. He said he's seen a tangible decrease in the number of calls coming out of the complex. Because of the personal relationships he's taken the time to nurture, he says he's been able to prevent little nuisances from becoming major problems.

That's the main idea behind the Apple Valley Police Department's new Neighborhood Collaborative Officer Project, or NCOP. Beginning in October, Thelen will have the opportunity to develop closer relationships with the people managing and living in multi-family housing, such as apartments and townhome associations, in a more official capacity.

Sgt. John Bermal has been assigned to oversee the new project. Together, the two officers will work closely with Pam Walter, the department's crime prevention specialist, to tackle problems and concerns before they lead to criminal behavior.

For the Apple Valley Police Department it is a very obvious shift in resources and personnel, but the shift in philosophy is less substantial. Johnson said the department has always placed a strong emphasis on crime prevention through neighborhood watch groups, relationships with schools, businesses and citizens, and through Walter, their crime prevention specialist. Now, however, Walter will have some help as Bermal and Thelen become the department's designated point of contact for landlords, tenants and business owners.

The idea is to bolster crime prevention by building collaborative relationships between apartment and rental owners, managers and landlords and law enforcement.

"What's nice with our multi-family housing right now is it's clean and safe and we just wanted to designate some resources to keeping it that way," Bermal said.

"We want to talk with the managers, owners and residents; basically, be the face of the police department for them. [The new positions] are less call-driven and more relational positions."

The ability to relate well is something police considered in the project assignment process. Bermal said Officer Thelen stands out as an excellent communicator and has an expressed interest in working with multi-family housing.

Along with the placement of Bermal and Thelen in the new positions, the department's school resource officers, DARE officer and retail officers will come under the umbrella of this new project. The consolidation will allow Bermal to monitor patterns and issues as they arise within the multi-family, school and business communities.

He said calls from the same location in town at different times may not necessarily be handled by the same officer because of changing shifts and schedules, but the new project will help consolidate the information those officers gather. By staying abreast of patterns or repeat calls, police are better prepared and can even resolve potential crimes before they start.

"It's exciting," Bermal said. "We have a vision and we have a mission. This thing will develop as we fulfill that."

A similar crime prevention program within the department is the Crime Free Multi-Housing program. This national program encourages landlords and tenants to be involved in keeping their own properties free of illegal activity. Managers must undergo training in crime prevention issues, make necessary physical and environmental changes to property and involve residents in Neighborhood Watch in order for rental property to receive certification as a Crime Free Multi-Housing property.

Walter said about one-third of rental property owners in Apple Valley take part in the voluntary program, meeting monthly to discuss issues and work toward certification of their properties.

She said the Crime Free Multi-Housing program has been around for many years, but hopes the new Neighborhood Collaborative Officer Project will enhance the program and encourage participation through more outreach, training and communication.

Bermal said he sees the Crime Free Multi-Housing program as just one resource as he heads up the larger Neighborhood Collaborative Officer Project.

"It's a tool to educate landlords and housing owners to let them know what they need on their properties to keep them crime free and to start neighborhood watch in these housing complexes," Bermal said.

Bermal explained that the new project has three phases -- manager training, physical security surveys and tenant meetings.

"We want to be a resource for these managers and tenants," Bermal said. "Many problems go unreported. That's a problem for the police department. We're hoping that we get a better sense of everything that's going on, instead of just what's being called in to the police department."

By having a more visible presence in multi-family housing complexes, Bermal and Thelen hope they'll develop the relationships necessary to prevent crime.

"When you start having that relationship and knowing their story, you can deal with the root problems," Bermal said.
Growth & change

Police Chief Scott Johnson said the shift of personnel and resources for the new project will be a significant undertaking for the department, but most of all it's going to take the people living in the multi-family neighborhoods.

Johnson said the new project is a reflection of the change taking place in the city. He said the prices of housing are increasing and there's a tendency to make the community higher density.

"Not that it's necessarily going to lead to crime," he said. "But there are more absentee landlords. We're starting to see imbedded rentals in single-family homes in neighborhoods. We need to pay attention to that."

Bermal echoed his comments.

"It's obvious there's been growth and there will continue to be growth," he said. "It's really a preventative measure to keep our housing safe, clean and attractive."

One year ago the City Council had its reservations about the necessity of the new project. In the final budget, they approved the hiring of one full-time officer beginning in October 2006. The cost of the project is just over $41,000 annually, the salary of an additional officer.

"I was a little confused at the time about how this would all work together," said Councilman Tom Goodwin. "It's a start in the right direction. We have problem housing. What I want to do is get a handle on it before it becomes a problem."

Goodwin said some surrounding communities have let problems with rental housing and apartments get out of hand.

"We're starting with this and we'll just have to see where it goes," he said.

Councilwoman Ruth Grendahl said the hiring of an additional officer for this project was a controversial issue.

"Where did it fit in? Should it fit in?" she asked. "That wasn't necessarily one of the positions that I supported."

Grendahl is concerned about the role government and the city police force is attempting to play in housing. She wonders if the project is intruding on landlords, property owners and tenants. She said concerns about a property's aesthetics, for example, might be a matter of perspective. She said the city shouldn't get too involved in telling residents how to care for their property or who to rent from or to.

Nevertheless, law enforcement officials are excited for the collaborative possibilities. They're already talking about expanding crime prevention through neighborhood watch groups and Bermal and Walter plan to become even more involved in the city's bi-monthly site plan review meetings in an effort to encourage good crime prevention in the design of buildings and other structures in the city.

"I think it's an absolutely positive move," Thelen said.

Jeff Achen can be reached at av.thisweek@ecm-inc.com.

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