Crime Free Multi-Housing* is a partnership between law enforcement, rental property management, owners, and residents. This is a solution-oriented program and designed to be easy, yet effective in reducing the incidence of crime on rental property.

VACAVILLE'S GOALS:

• Create safer rental properties and neighborhoods
• Enhance security and reduce the fear of crime for residents
• Facilitate a cooperative effort between rental property owners, managers, residents and police to minimize crime
• Promote effective property management through landlord training
• Reduce blight on rental properties
• Reduce police calls for service at rental properties

WHY CRIME FREE?

When Criminals and destructive tenants operate out of rental property, neighborhoods suffer and landlords face serious consequences, including:

• Loss of valued Tenants
• Property values decline
• Property damage from abuse, retaliation or neglect
• Civil Penalties including forfeiture or temporary closure of the property
• Fear and frustration when dealing with dangerous and threatening tenants
• Resentment & anger between neighbors, tenants, and property managers

Crime Free Multi-Housing is successful because it approaches crime on many fronts. The police cannot solve crime problems alone. Neither can the management or residents of rental properties. When we work together the end result is the most successful approach to crimes in rental communities.

There are three (3) ways criminal activity comes into a rental community:

1. The criminal lives there
2. The criminal visits friends there
3. The criminal comes to the property to commit crimes

The Crime Free Multi-Housing Program addresses all three of these possibilities. When managers do not rent to people with criminal intent, they not only reduce the likelihood of crime in the community, they also reduce the number of visitors who come to the property with criminal intent (i.e., to purchase/sell drugs.)

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design

For the opportunistic criminal, the use of C.P.T.E.D. (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) has been used to combat crimes that might occur in the parking lots or common areas. Proper landscaping and lighting can lessen assaults, robberies, drive-by shootings, auto burglaries and auto thefts. When police, property managers, and residents make a dedicated effort to crime prevention and the Crime Free Multi-Housing program, the outlook for success is extremely high. Let's make our community a safer place to live and enjoy for many years to come.

Program Coordinator:

• Office Phone: (707) 449-5248
• Fax: (707) 449-5474
• Email: CrimeFreeHousing@cityofvacaville.com

*The Crime Free Multi-Housing Program is an international program that began in Mesa, AZ in 1992. Currently the program is in 44 states, five Canadian provinces, Mexico, England, Finland, Japan, Russia, Malaysia, Nigeria, Afghanistan, and Puerto Rico. The Vacaville Police Department adopted the program in 2006.