Security was increased at the Royal Palms Apartments in Tucson. | Tolga Ulkan/Unsplash
Security was increased at the Royal Palms Apartments in Tucson. | Tolga Ulkan/Unsplash
Royal Palms Apartments in Tucson added on-site security after residents complained about drugs, crime, and poor living conditions.
Changes were made at the complex as a result of meetings with the Duffy Neighborhood Association and the Tucson Police Department (TPD), according to KGUN. Management and security now have a visible presence at the complex and TPD is patrolling the area more frequently.
Steve Kozachik, a Tucson City Council member, spoke about the issues at Royal Palms. He recommended that the city should consider filing a nuisance complaint regarding the property.
"Some progress is fine," he said. "But the problems, frankly, still exist. We're still getting reports of open-air drug use. We're still getting reports of just junk and debris piled on the walkways ... If you’re a property manager, you need to care about your tenants. And you need to care about the residents in the surrounding area. So, a baby step is nice, but we need a giant leap from this guy."
Kozachik said Gregory Stanton, owner of the apartment complex, and Desert Ventures Development and Management need to do more to cut down on crime, KGUN reported. Stanton owns both the Royal Palms Apartments and the Royal El Con Apartments in Midtown Tucson.
"Right now, he is sharing security between two properties and sharing a property manager between two properties," Kozachik said. "That's not gonna cut it."
Capt. John Carlson of the Tucson Police Department feels differently, however, according to KGUN.
"I'm pretty optimistic," he said. "I think [the owner is] being a little more proactive, and they're hearing what the neighborhood association is saying."
Carlson said TPD is giving the area more attention and fewer break-ins of vacant units were reported recently.
"The minute you let the accountability slip is when things start to go bad," Carlson said. "We need to make sure that what we accomplish here, we don't lose. So, we still need to maintain a presence. We need to maintain a focus."
The Royal Palms Apartments complex is located at 5201 E. 2nd St.
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