Heritage Park, located at 239 NW Murray Road, has become the third multi-housing facility in Lee’s Summit to receive a Crime Free Multi-Housing (CFMH) Certification from the Police Department. The CFMH program is designed to help tenants, property owners, and management of rental property keep drugs and illegal activity off their property. The program utilizes a three-part training program which is solution oriented towards a crime prevention goal, while maintaining a very tenant friendly atmosphere. Upon completion of all three phases the property is awarded the certification and allowed to display the CFMH signs for current and future tenant’s knowledge.
The two other multi-housing facilities in Lee’s Summit have receive their certificate, The Manor Homes of Arborwalk, located at 1318 SW Manor Lake Drive, and the Lodge Apartments at 600 SE M-291. Once certified the properties receive their recertification from the police department by maintaining the standards and philosophies of the program for the benefit of their residents and the community.
To obtain the full certification property owners/management must complete all three phases:
Phase I – A minimum of 8 hours of instruction provided by the police department covering crime prevention tools and techniques, illegal drug and paraphernalia recognition, applicant screening processes, conducting criminal background checks, fair housing rules, serving notices, evictions and premise liability.
Phase II – An on site survey is completed by the police department which certifies the property has met the minimum security requirements for their tenants’ safety by ensuring each unit has deadbolt locks, door eye viewers, 3” strike plate screws, window locks or pins, sliding door safety mechanisms, adequate lighting and landscaping maintenance.
Phase III – Requires property owners/management to hold an initial and then yearly tenant crime prevention meeting, frequently called “safety socials”, with assistance from the police department to cover crime prevention updates. The crime prevention meetings bear a slight resemblance to Neighborhood Watch, but are specifically designed for apartment communities based on their needs.
The overall goal of the Crime Free Multi-Housing program is to build a cooperative effort between property owners/management, tenants and the police department in keeping illegal and nuisance activity out of rental property. Through a pro-active, rather than reactive, approach to crime prevention CFMH participants understand crime will not be entirely eliminated, but their rental community will not tolerate criminal behavior on the part of its residents, their guests or others and they will seek to create as crime free of an environment as possible.
The Crime Free Multi-Housing Program is now an international program started by the Mesa Arizona Police Department in 1992. Nationally the program has spread to 44 states and over 900 cities. For questions related to the Lee’s Summit program please contact the Police Department Community Interaction Officer at 816-969-1708.