The manager of a low-income senior apartment complex said Thursday she has been asking for help from the city officials to protect residents from crime by non-residents, only to receive limited assistance.
When she learned some City Council members are planning a walk-through of the building in response to complaints about living conditions, she was excited for the chance to plead her case for increased attention from police to help her better serve the residents.
Residents of the building, Hudson Pointe on Grand Street, said there are some challenges to living here.
Some residents and staff mentioned a few hoarders who cause infestations.
Others mentioned that younger friends and relatives of residents have vandalized the building, used drugs in the building and stolen items.
Karen Ackins, known locally as Grandma Ackins, said she is mostly pleased with her living situation, except that "I gotta stay away from certain people."
Ackins said she often sees the building manager and superintendent scrambling to try to alleviate the quality-of-life issues.
"It's just the people," Ackins said. "They don't give them (manager and super) respect, and they don't know how to talk to them."
At this week's City Council meeting, Councilman Omari Shakur said he had received numerous complaints, and recommended that officials from the police and building departments do a walk-through.
"We'd like to have somebody from codes there with us and let us know what's going on," Shakur said, "because we've been getting too many complaints, and – like I said – our elderly stay there."
Hudson Pointe Manager Shannon Tremper said she was pleased to learn the problems have caught the attention of the council and hopes public services for her vulnerable senior tenants improve after the walk-through.
"They always say they just have four officers so they're really not able to fit us into their patrol plan," she said, "and then when something happens, it just falls on deaf ears."
Councilman Shakur told News 12 Thursday morning he expects the walk-through to happen in the coming days.