Midwest City Adopts National Crime Free Program

Jennifer Pierce, News 9

MIDWEST CITY -- Midwest City police are fighting crime one apartment at a time. They're taking a national program and making it their own.

It's called Crime-Free. Midwest City is the first in the state to adopt the program. It's aimed at reducing crime in apartment complexes.

The first complex to adopt the program is in an area where the News 9 CrimeTracker shows a lot of burglaries, assaults and even a murder.

Staff at Legacy Corner Apartments has gone through eight hours of training to learn how to screen potential residents and spot different types of drugs. They also are learning how to keep the apartment environment safe for residents by trimming trees and hedges to prevent ambush attacks and making doors more difficult to kick-in.

The last step is for police to come out and inspect the property to make sure it is meeting program requirements.

"We're trying to build that level of cooperation with the complexes," said Lt. Matt Dukes with the Midwest City Police Department. "It's a give and take."

The adoption of the program comes on the heels of a brutal double murder plea by a Midwest City teen. Just this week, Kyle Smith, who is currently on bi-polar medication, pled guilty to killing his grandparents with a machete. Smith was sentenced to life in prison plus 10 years.

8/23/2011 Related Story: MWC Teen Pleads Guilty To Murder Charges In Grandparents' Death

Midwest City police said one phone call to a crisis prevention officer may have prevented this crime.

"We certainly would have like to have that option, to be able to provide the family with tools they needed maybe to get him some help," said Captain Robert Cornelison, Midwest City Police Department.

Four more apartment complexes in Midwest City are slated to be in the Crime-Free program.