SAN ANTONIO – An apartment complex on the East Side will be the testing ground for the next phase of the City of San Antonio’s plan to tackle violent crime.
The Rosemont at Highland Park Apartments was chosen by University of Texas at San Antonio criminologists who analyzed data, including crime incidents, violent and warrant-related arrests and violent calls for service.
San Antonio police officers have been going after violent crime “hot spots” for more than a year. Patrol officers periodically sit with their lights on in areas with high rates of street crimes like murders, aggravated assaults and robberies.
City leaders and the UTSA team who developed the plan have said that the first phase has already helped violent crime level off in San Antonio. The second phase is meant to tackle the underlying conditions that contribute to crime, what they call “problem-oriented, place-based policing.”
UTSA professor Michael Smith said violent crime is often “highly concentrated” and that there are connections to what criminologists call “social and physical disorder.”
“So you’ve heard talk about a homeless encampment that’s nearby. You heard talk about dogs that roam freely through the property. Youth who are not in school,” Smith told KSAT. “These are all conditions that we would consider physical or social disorder that help contribute to crime.”
The complex, which is operated by Opportunity Home San Antonio and Beacon Communities, will be the focus of extra efforts to tackle some of that disorder.
In a presentation to the Public Safety Committee Friday, Integrated Community Safety Office Director Maria Vargas‐Yates said top members of several city departments had recommended numerous approaches, including:
- connecting residents to services like food and youth programs
- addressing roaming animals
- regular homeless camp cleanups and outreach
- using SAPD license plate readers and mobile telescoping cameras
- using door security cameras for residents
- weekly reviews of 311 calls to address code issues
- installing three new streetlights
- working with the complex to repair or enhance fencing, lighting and security cameras
The initiatives will take place through at least the rest of the year. The city will evaluate the program in January, Vargas-Yates said.
Most of the initiatives would use existing resources, Vargas-Yates said, though city staff was recommending spending $405,000 on mobile cameras and $15,000 for Animal Care Services to conduct three clinics. The cameras would be used not only at Rosemont, she said, but also at future locations.
Vargas-Yates said Opportunity Home San Antonio would assess what improvements it could tackle, though she suggested the city could also help pay for them, if necessary.
The city has $1 million in its current budget to help provide minor maintenance needs for public housing residents.
More related coverage on KSAT: