Dear editor:
Every resident of Garland County should read the letter by Mr. Listrom. Since 2004, the Hot Springs Landlord Association has been trying to get people to participate in crime reduction. We have tried, and are still trying, to get landlords to screen rental applicants. The benefits are many; chief among them is detecting criminals and not renting to them.
There are many people who should not be landlords and many Realtors who should not manage rental property because they do not screen and will rent to anyone with money. They complain about property destruction, unpaid rent and even law enforcement raids, yet still won't screen. Greed is one reason, another is slumlords don't bother to do any repairs to their property, so no decent renters will live there. Criminals are not a protected class under Fair Housing laws!
At the meeting the third Thursday in March at Dixie Cafe, the Hot Springs Landlord Association topic will be applications and screening. The public is welcome to all our meetings, which start with a meet and greet at 6 p.m.
Every neighborhood should have a Neighborhood Watch. In cooperation with the Garland County Sheriff's Department (thank you Capt. Terry and Capt. Lacey!) and our outstanding DTF, our Neighborhood Watch has made it clear to the two slumlords that own rentals in our area that we will not tolerate criminals. We collect information day and night and get it to law enforcement ASAP. The criminals don't like being watched and soon leave. One slumlord even tried to have me arrested for running off her renters repeatedly. As of this day, these slumlords have quiet tenants who do not cause any problems, a nice change for those units. The current renters have come to understand that there will be no repairs and do what they can to take care of it themselves. Our fear is they will get tired of this and move, setting up a risk of more criminals moving in.
If citizens want to live in safe, peaceful neighborhoods, we should be proactive and help law enforcement agencies to reach that goal. I believe it's as much our responsibility as feeding and sheltering our children.
Sharon Grant
Hot Springs
Editorial on 01/23/2015