DATA: 1,400 Police Calls to Kent Apartments in 2011
Silver Meadows Apartments had most calls of city's 11 large complexes with 672
Kent's largest apartment complexes accounted for 1,426 — or 7.3 percent — of the Kent Police Department's 19,470 total calls for service in 2011.
The department released a report this month detailing the number and type of calls associated with the city's 11 largest apartment complexes.
The report was made public as Kent City Council prepares to discuss Wednesday the idea of requiring apartment complexes throughout Kent to hire on-site security personnel.
Data in the report outline the total number of calls to each of the 11 complexes and how many of those calls resulted in reports being filed by responding officers.
The 2011 data break down as follows; Patch has listed the complexes by total number of calls:
- Total calls: 672
- Cases filed: 255
- Number of residents: 759
- Security measures: intermittent off-duty patrol by Kent Police officers paid by apartment complex
2. Whitehall Terrace Apartments
- Total calls: 207
- Cases filed: 30
- Number of residents: 376
- Security measures: off-duty patrol by Kent Police officers paid by apartment complex
- Total calls: 114
- Cases filed: 40
- Number of residents: 707
- Security measures: intermittent private security
- Total calls: 106
- Cases Filed: 33
- Number of residents: 528
- Security measures: intermittent private security
- Total calls: 98
- Cases filed: 29
- Number of residents: 594
- Security measures: intermittent private security
- Total calls: 78
- Cases filed: 33
- Number of residents: 455
- Security measures: intermittent private security
- Total calls: 76
- Cases filed: 22
- Number of residents: 216
- Security measures: n/a
- Total calls: 37
- Cases filed: 12
- Number of residents: 216
- Security measures: n/a
- Total calls: 14
- Cases filed: 4
- Number of residents: 300
- Security measures: n/a
- Total calls: 6
- Cases filed: 1
- Number of residents: 232
- Security measures: n/a
- Total calls: 18
- Cases filed: 0
- Number of residents: 560
- Security measures: n/a
Members of Kent council have lightly discussed the idea of mandating on-site security for apartment complexes as plans have been submittted, approved and gone to construction for several new complexes in the city.
Three different student apartment complexes expect to add a total 1,728 new student housing beds by the start of the fall semester. And those are just the beds under construction now, which are: University Oaks, planned 520; The Province at Kent, 596; and University Edge, 612.
Editor's note: this article was updated July 10 to clarify how many calls resulted in reports filed by officers.
Wade
8:43 am on Tuesday, July 10, 2012
So about 17.7% of Kent's population accounted for 7.3% of all police calls, and that's with Silver Meadows crazy-high numbers? Doesn't seem too bad to me, but then again not sure what percentage of police calls are to residences vs non-residential (business, traffic,etc) calls.
Logan
8:59 am on Tuesday, July 10, 2012
I think that it is absolutely absurd that the city would even consider not wanting police to go to apartments. They are resident's of the city and it is the police's obligation to protect them. Why can they not do this when they have plenty of time to park police cars next to each other and talk for hours as I have seen many times at the lot where the Dunkin' Donuts is going in! It's absolutely ridiculous!
Tony
1:09 pm on Tuesday, July 10, 2012
I don't think they are saying KPD won't go to the apartment complexes if the had on-site security. The hope probably is that on-site security will help prevent some of the disturbances that have occurred.
Teresa K.
10:26 am on Tuesday, July 10, 2012
very interesting numbers....that would be a nice statistical breakdown report for ones coming into Kent knowing they will rent an apartment. A couple extra bucks a month could go a long way for peace and quiet.
I think the new complexes being built should finance the extra police that will be needed for onsite security for the new complexes. Let them pay for police/ security officers who report to Kent city. Our police force is stretched already with all those calls to Silver Meadows... pert near one call for each person : )
Logan
4:46 pm on Tuesday, July 10, 2012
I suppose we need to see a percentage of total times a police appears to an apartment vs. a single residence. Maybe then we can see that apartments have a very minimal impact.
Michael Pacifico
10:27 am on Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Like any statistic, it is insignificant if not put in context. Do we have a year by year tally to compare and what about these numbers in relation to other like municipalities?