Past the banana peels, cigarette boxes and empty liquor bottles; up crumbling steps and through tagged-up hallways; Larry Thomas made his way through the grounds of the Riverside Apartment Complex Monday afternoon.
Thomas, the deputy director of the Ansonia Housing Authority, handed out fliers and chatted with residents about the complex and resident concerns.
A broken step. A vacated unit. A resident with unauthorized dogs: It’s simple stuff. But Thomas and other housing authority officials hope by catching some of the concerns early, they can help make the complex a better place to live.
“My whole mission will be to advocate and to follow through with suggestions,” Thomas said Monday.
The new measure is part of a list of actions the authority proposed last week, and it comes in the wake of two murders this summer.
On June 21, Jennifer Lewis was stabbed to death on a balcony at the complex.
On July 15, Bernice McFadden was shot and killed after a man opened fire into a crowd of people standing outside the apartment buildings. Police are still looking for the killer.
The spate of violence has left residents afraid to leave their apartments, and has prompted renewed cries for better security at the complex.
Tightened Security
Last week, the authority highlighted steps it plans to take to heighten security at the complex. Within the next two weeks, Thomas said, the tenants’ association will sit back down with authority officials to prioritize that list.
It includes actions like a curfew, ID cards for residents and Thomas’ office, set up in the old housing authority headquarters on Olson Drive.
Initial response from residents last week was skepticism. But resident Monday said they were happy with some of the suggestions.
Amanda Ayala said she plans to go to the next resident meeting to hear more about the plans, but said she liked the idea of a curfew.
“My little brother is always out light at night,” Ayala said. “I get worried.”
She said since the murders, her mother has gotten stricter about when her brother can be outside, but she thinks a curfew would help too.
John Sanders liked the idea of getting ID cards for residents, saying it would keep out the people who don’t belong at the complex.
Others weren’t sure what to think, because they hadn’t read the suggestions yet.
At What Cost?
But some said the suggestions may violate the civil rights of the residents.
“Is that encroaching on their civil rights for 7‑year-olds to have ID cards? I don’t know how appropriate that would be,” said Greg Johnson, the president of the Ansonia branch of the NAACP.
Johnson also questioned the proposed curfew, saying that requiring people to be inside their homes when it’s 90 degrees outside and human is “inhumane.”
Johnson said he spent about 10 years working for the Authority. Back when there was grant money the authority employed guards to patrol the complex and report problems to the police.
The security guards may be the best measure for keeping the residents safe without infringing on their rights, Johnson said. He’s meeting with the tenants association this week to talk about the proposals.
Meanwhile, Thomas will continue to walk the grounds and check in with residents. He said it’s the best way to make sure concerns are followed up on and complaints are handled promptly. He will also focus on lease enforcement, one of the measures the authority hopes will keep the complex safer.
“We’ll say, ‘Let’s deal with this now,’” Thomas said.
While Johnson said the new office is needed, he said the delayed reaction from the housing authority was upsetting.
“We have been talking about this for years to the administration,” Johnson said. “We’ve held marches about safety and security. We’ve had stand-ins and meetings and rallies voicing concerns. It’s unfortunate that it comes up after two young ladies got murdered.”
