Management of Desert Hope says apartments are not cause of crime in Las Cruces area
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KFOX14/CBS4) — KFOX14 heard from the management of an affordable housing apartment complex in Las Cruces that has been at the center of controversy.
JL Gray, Desert Hope's management company answered KFOX14's request about the issues surrounding the apartment complex.
Neighbors said the apartments attracted crime to the area but management said otherwise.
"I just want to reach out and let them know we need help protecting these children," said Chrystal Morales director of Children's Playhouse Daycare.
Nearby businesses said visitors to the apartment complex broke into their stores and vandalized their property.
In a statement, JL Gray, the management of Desert Hope said residents who had issues encountered people who may have been homeless and attributed them to the apartments.
They also said the apartment complex was not the root of the problem and was only assumed to be so because they helped people who were homeless.
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KFOX14 spoke with nearby businesses about the statement.
"It’s hard to say that it’s not coming from desert hope when I see people climbing the fence or going under the fence and then coming over our fence onto our property from desert hope," said Morales.
In the statement, JL Gray said they implemented new policies to address the issue such as restrictions on visitors to the property, strict curfews and evicting residents who do not follow community rules.
JL Gray also said the Mesilla Valley Community of Hope offered to pay for additional security to protect the residents of desert hope and enforce curfews.
"We all want the best and if that’s what they want to enact and if that’s what they want to try I’m always happy to go through the hoops," said Morales.
"What would work better is to have a police always here going around doing rounds around here mostly in the night that’s when things happen," said Belen Reyes owner of Good News Thrift Store, "We need to have a place for the homeless, which it’s fine, but we just need to make sure that they’re not doing what they’re doing."
Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima said he wanted to work with the city manager and Desert Hope's management to come up with a solution.
He said they could meet by the end of November.
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