Crime Free Housing

Brookings Crime Free Multi-Housing Program

"Keeping Illegal Activity Out of Rental Property"

Designed as a partnership between law enforcement, property managers and tenants to help keep drug and criminal activity out of rental property, the program is based on a national program originated in Mesa, Arizona, in 1992 and currently is an international program. The program has shown a national average of 50-60% reductions in crime and/or law enforcement calls for those properties actively working the program.

The program is designed to help rental property managers, with the assistance of tenants, deal with potential and current renters who may be involved in criminal activities within the rental property. By using the following standards, managers are able to prevent potential criminal behavior from moving onto the property. This creates a safer place for the resident(s) to call home.

For additional information, contact Detective Smith or Detective Rogers at the Brookings Police Department at (605) 692-2113.

Brookings Crime Free Multi-Housing Minimum Standards

  1. Apartment buildings will have adequate lighting as determined by the Brookings Police Department.
  2. Apartment doors will be equipped with 180-degree eye-viewers, deadbolts with a 1-inch throw and strike plates installed with 2 1/2- to 3-inch screws.
  3. Apartment sliding doors and windows will have two locks.
  4. No person with a felony assault behavior conviction in the last five years will be allowed to reside on the property.
  5. No person with a felony drug conviction in the last five years will be allowed to reside on the property.
  6. No registered sex offenders will be allowed to reside on the property.
  7. Owners / managers will have completed a Crime Free Multi-Housing Manager Seminar.
  8. South Dakota criminal background checks will be done on all applicants 18 years of age and older.
  9. The designated property will have a minimum of eight units involved in the program.

No program can guarantee there will never be any criminal activity on a property. The Crime Free Multi-Housing program has shown it can help make property safer and better for tenants.