CRIME-FREE BUILDINGS ON THE RISE

It just became harder for criminals to get a foothold in Chilliwack.

Tougher tenant screening, new heavy-duty deadbolt locks and peepholes as
well as better lighting are just a few of the security tricks being used in
a local crime prevention effort designed to keep drug dealers, marijuana
grow-ops and other crime out of local buildings. It's called the Crime-Free
Multi Housing program and the Lanai 2 Apartments on Cook Street is the
newest certified member of the program in town.

A celebration was held at Chilliwack Senior Social Society Wednesday night
to herald the certification.

Building management and tenants have embraced the program enthusiastically
and taken the security recommendations seriously. Each patio now sports a
wooden bar to prevent illegal entries and the bars were designed by one of
the tenants.

"I didn't realize how much crime there was in the area. But now I think the
tenants feel more confident living here," says Verna Lebel, manager of
Lanai 2. "As a building manager, it's been awesome just to be able to say
we're crime-free and things are more secure." She participated in an
all-day seminar to learn how to reduce crime and then the building was
assessed and recommendations were made to improve security.

The catalyst for getting certified included a rash of five incidents in the
building in a six-month period, including robberies in the laundry room, on
cars in the parking lot and in the locker space.

Ms. Lebel says building owner Marty Kopelow recommended the program after
filling her in on the success he had with the program and his other
building in Port Coquitlam.

"We started about a year ago," he says. "When I took over the building in
PoCo there were two competing grow-ops on the same floor. We turned that
building around in just 18 months."

The program lets owners take a pro-active approach to taking responsibility
for their buildings, he says.

"It creates pride in ownership and for the renters," he says. "When people
feel safer about where they live, their whole attitude and demeanour changes."

Lanai 2 joins seventeen other buildings in Chilliwack that are now
certified "crime-free" after going through the three-phase process of the
program.

Program co-ordinator Patti Hamilton says its geared specifically to help
apartment managers, owners, residents and police to work together to keep
illegal and nuisance activity out of the community.

"When drug dealers, criminals and other destructive residents operate out
of rental properties, neighbourhoods suffer and landlord pay a high price,"
she says.

The upshot of heavy crime can cause a decline in property values, property
damage, fires caused by meth labs or grow-ops and even the loss of valued
tenants.