The landlord association in Kent County is teaming up with Grand Rapids police to try and reduce crime. They’re offering a new training program for their 1,400 members on how to react to, reduce, and even prevent crime at their properties.
“It’s good for business and for rental property owners,” said Clay Powell, director of the Kent County Rental Property Owners Association. “Having crime at your units can cause ongoing problems with nuisances and disturbances and police calls scaring away other tenants,” he said.
“The other effect of this is going to be helping the neighborhoods, keeping criminals out of the neighborhoods and addressing the problems quickly. And helping landlords know how to work with the police departments faster,” Powell said.
The program is voluntary. Powell says that’s by design. His group opposes “aggressive” new local laws putting restrictions on rental properties, like those recently enacted in Holland and Saginaw to prevent criminal activity, noise or parking problems.
The first training session for the new certification is this week.
