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Crime-ridden Dallas apartments given mandates 
11:04 AM CDT on Thursday, July 23, 2009
DALLAS — Clean up or pay up — that's the mandate given to targeted Dallas apartments to help reduce crime.
Dallas police identified 31 complexes that span across the city. Police say these apartments have some of the worst and most frequent crimes.
There are 1,400 apartment complexes in Dallas, but the city has singled out 31 as having the highest amount of crime per capita.
Drugs, prostitution and lax tenant background checks are just some of the problems that landed the Parkmore Apartments on Dallas' Crime Reduction list.
"I feel bad... I feel bad that I'm on that list. I really do, because I feel it could have been prevented a long time ago," said Parkmore manager Kathy Beavers, who was brought in three months ago to try and get things in order.
"We cut the bushes, all the trees — it looks real nice," she said.
Besides cleaning up the outside, she said her company is now strict about who it rents to. Beavers said she has been working closely with police to prevent crime.
"We are identifying these problems, we are specifically addressing them," she said. "We meet with owners and come up with a plan."
Apartments on the list are required to create better lighting and fencing, as well as to add crime watch meetings and undergo a security evaluation.
It can be a lot of work, but the winners are the renters.
"They're doing a lot of work around here," Beavers said.
Police plan to get feedback from tenants like David Leek on how to make things better. "I see a lot of stuff going on," he said. "I'm glad something's finally getting done about it."
If enough progress is made, targeted apartments will be removed from the list.
Complexes that appear on the list can also appeal that decision.
E-mail ccivale@wfaa.com
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