Friday, June 26, 2009

Conference explores crime-free solutions for rental property starting Monday

PRESS RELEASE:
Law enforcement officers and rental property managers from across the country and the world will converge on Kansas City on Monday to learn better ways to protect tenants from a variety of dangers.

The 11th Annual International Crime Free conference will make its first visit to Kansas City on June 29 and run through July 1 at Bartle Hall. The Kansas City Missouri Police Department has been working to bring the conference here for the past two years. In years past, approximately 300 attendees have come from across the United States as well as Canada, Mexico, Nigeria and the Philippines.

The Crime Free Programs are innovative, law enforcement-based crime prevention solutions designed to help keep illegal activity off rental property. In Kansas City, Crime Free programs are offered for apartment complexes and hotels and motels. They focus on screening potential tenants, knowing the signs of criminal activity and security through environmental design. Each of KCPD’s six patrol divisions has officers assigned specifically to Crime Free programs.

This year’s conference will feature such speakers as U.S. Attorney Matt Whitworth of the Western District of Missouri, KCPD Deputy Chief Cy Ritter, comedian David Naster and Kansas City news radio veteran Dan Verbeck. The event is funded by the non-profit Mid-America Crime-Free Inc. organization.

Attendees can choose from dozens of break-out sessions that affect rental property, including: how to make self-storage units and mobile home parks crime-free, how to identify marijuana-growing and meth-making operations. Other classes include domestic violence issues, safe and environmentally friendly property lighting, conflict resolution, identifying gang and human trafficking activities, welfare fraud, warrant sweeps, self defense for property managers, and disaster preparedness.

The conference begins at 8 a.m. each day and wraps up at 4:45 p.m.

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