TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Tenants at the Royal Palms apartment complex on Tucson’s east side and nearby neighbors have complained about drugs, crime, and living conditions.
Meetings with the Duffy neighborhood association and Tucson Police Department followed, and led to changes at the complex, located at 5201 E. 2nd Street.
There is now management and security on-site, telling trespassers to leave.
A anonymous tenant tells KGUN those changes have been “a big game-changer,” and that the complex is “settling down” and much quieter, especially in the last couple of weeks.
TPD Captain John Carlson says he’s been in contact with the owner of the complex.
“I’m pretty optimistic,“ Carlson said of the situation. “I think [the owner is] being a little more proactive and they’re hearing what the Neighborhood Association is saying.”
TPD is now giving the area closer attention and more frequent patrols. Carlson says there have been fewer break-ins of vacant units in recent weeks.
“The minute you let the accountability slip, is when things start to go bad,” he 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.”
Gregory Stanton and Desert Ventures Development and Management own Royal Palms and the Royal El Con apartment complex in Midtown.
City councilmember Steve Kozachik says Stanton needs to do more.
“Right now he is sharing security between two properties and sharing a property manager between two properties,” said Kozachik. “That’s not gonna cut it.”
Kozachik says these complexes still have “significantly more” 911 calls than comparable properties and that the city may need to step in to pursue a nuisance property violation complaint.
“Some progress is fine. But the problems, frankly, still exist,” said Kozachik. “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.”
KGUN 9 reached out to the owner of the apartment complexes for comment but did not receive a response.
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Ryan Fish is an anchor and reporter for KGUN 9 and comes to the Sonoran Desert from California’s Central Coast after working as a reporter, sports anchor and weather forecaster in Santa Barbara. Ryan grew up in the Chicago suburbs, frequently visiting family in Tucson. Share your story ideas and important issues with Ryan by emailing ryan.fish@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook and Twitter.
