Some residents at the Bremerton Apartments say they know police drug raids all too well.

Some say they witnessed an Aug. 23 raid at their complex. However, Austin Police Chief Paul Philipp wouldn't confirm or deny the residents' accounts of what happened.

"We know what's going on and we're going to do what is necessary to take back control of this place," said Becky Peters, property manager for Landmark Property Advisors, Inc., owners of the 60 units of subsidized housing in west Austin.

A Neighborhood Watch Program under the auspices of the Austin Police Department will be launched at a meeting scheduled at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 25, in the combination laundry and office building.

Anyone who is interested in participating should visit the complex's office by noon on Sept. 15.

The program comes on the heels of an announcement that existing leasing provisions will be strictly enforced and new rules of behavior have been established by the owners/managers.

They include:

n

People who leave items outside the Dumpsters will be fined, parents are responsible for their children's actions. A 10 p.m. curfew exists for children.

n The parking lot is for tenants only. All vehicles not belonging to tenants and all others parked for more than a day will be ticketed and towed away.

n Only the people specifically leasing a unit may live or stay in that unit. Visitors who have been charged with crimes or who have histories of drug use and criminal activities are not allowed on the Bremerton Townhomes property at any time.

n Former tenants who have been evicted are not allowed to return at any time.

The new rules, strict lease enforcement (two evictions have been ordered), Neighborhood Watch program and trespassing notices distributed have occurred since the mid-summer's night raid on a Bremerton Townhome unit.

Also a new property manager is making an aggressive effort to restore peace and security to the complex.

Peters, a grief counselor, took over for Sandy McAlister as property manager in January. Some of the skills she learned to help others may be put to the test in her current position.

Earlier this summer, Peters and concerned tenants attempted to take action to clean up the complex.

The attempt failed and the alleged criminal activities continued climaxing with the raid on a suspected methamphetamine lab in a Bremerton Townships unit.

More than 100 children live in the cluster of Townhomes between the outskirts of Austin Acres, the residential neighborhood of expensive homes and West Oakland Avenue auto dealers.

Across 27th Street SW to the east is another large apartment complex, Western Manor. Across cornfields to the west is Mandolin Apartments. The population in each of the complexes is dense.

The Bremerton Townhome owners hired Premier Security to patrol the grounds by day and night. Extra patrols from the Austin Police Department were also requested.

Peters, Richard Edge, the Neighborhood Watch captain, and other residents, who asked not to be identified because of their fears of retaliation, say they still see drug transactions take place in the parking lot -- Tuesdays and Fridays are considered the busiest days and nights of the week -- and other unspecified criminal activity.

They say the individuals have "watchers" to warn of the arrival of a police car or the appearance of a private security guard on foot patrol. They also hear police scanner radios in use through open windows of the units, which, they claim are being used to alert possible criminals of the police officers' whereabouts.

The disrespect for property and people extends to children in the apartment complex, who management says, urinate anywhere, anytime outside their parents' living quarters and run the backyards, front yards and parking lots all hours of the night.

Each morning, maintenance people must once again collect garbage strewn across the lawns and parking lot.

"I think it has to stop. All of it," said Peters, sounding weary after detailing the real and perceived aberrant acts.

Then, her voice gains strength and assertiveness. "It isn't going to make a difference what we do unless all the residents say they don't want drugs here and that they don't want the tenants taking over this place. They have to want to stop the violence," Peters said.

She added, "This time, we are all working together. That wasn't so in the past. Both the management and Landmark, as well as the residents and the police and Premier Security, too. We are all united. This is not going to continue."

"The place has a bad name. I think we all know that," Edge said. "It may be asking too much to change that overnight, but we can start to do something now. If we can just get the Austin Police Department to stand behind us, there's hope."

"Landmark is defiantly behind us on this all the way and that makes a difference, too. They realize something has to be done. They know we have a bad name and they don't want that. None of us want that," Peters added.

After the recent announcement of a tougher stance on the burgeoning criminal activity and other misbehavior, both Peters and Edge say they were threatened. They also became targets of vandalism acts such as garbage stuffed inside the screen doors to Edge's apartment and Peters' office as well the vehicle of a female supporter of the stricter rules for tenants.

"Come back at night sometime. Then, you will see what we mean," Edge said. "It goes on all the time."

Austin Police Capt. Curt Rude agreed to meet with Peters, Edge and others this week.

Rude said forming a Neighborhood Watch program is a good idea and is a good start to help solve problems that have been relayed to the police.

"It's an ongoing problem out there and we're trying to support them in every way we can," Rude said.

Lee Bonorden can be contacted at 434-2232 or by e-mail at :mailto:lee.bonorden@austindailyherald.com