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Blue Star Multi-Housing Program
The North Houston District provides a variety of public safety programs and activities to supplement the hard work of local law enforcement agencies. NHD partners with the Houston Police Department to host a Blue Star Multi-Housing Program training for local apartment communities.
Blue Star is a proactive program designed to reduce the potential for crime and raise awareness among apartment managers, owners, and residents.
About the Program
Houston’s Police Department’s Blue Star Multi-Housing Program is a cooperative effort between apartment managers/owners, apartment residents, and law enforcement to decrease crime and enhance the quality of life for citizens living within Blue Star communities.
Awarding a Blue Star designation means that the apartment community has completed all three phases of the program and has met the minimum standards for certification. Over time, many apartment managers and prospective residents will recognize that the Blue Star Multi-Housing certification will promote a safer and cleaner community with a higher quality of life.
How the Program Works
Property management staff enroll in the program. The first phase is completing an eight-hour program taught by attorneys, police, crime prevention professionals, and guest speakers. The training program is free to attendees. Management training is recommended for property owners, managers, leasing staff, maintenance personnel, and others in the management team.
Topics covered through the classroom presentations include:
- How To Become A Blue Star Property
- Understanding Crime Prevention
- C.P.T.E.D. (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) Concepts
- Cyber Crime
- Disaster Preparedness
- Drug Awareness
- Gang Awareness
- Identity Theft
- Liability Issues
Next Steps
Upon completion of phase one, each participant receives a certificate.
After the CPTED Survey has been completed and the property has passed, the property can go to phase three – the Safety Social. At the Safety Social, officers will explain to the residents that the apartment community works with the police to keep the community safe.
Participating managers should also implement the Blue Star Lease Addendum, the program’s backbone, which cites specific actions that management will take if a resident or someone under the resident’s control is involved in illegal or dangerous activity on or near the rental property.
Annual inspections will be performed by Houston Police Department personnel to ensure that the high standards of the Blue Star Multi-Housing Program are being maintained.
While no one can guarantee a crime-free community, the Blue Star certification indicates a shared commitment to reducing or preventing crime by management and police within the community.
Information
Learn more about the Blue Star Multi-Housing Program at houstontx.gov/police/multi_family.
Register for the March 28 training at https://www.houstontx.gov/police/multi_family/blue_registration_form.htm.
To read more about the North Houston District’s layered approach to public safety, visit www.northhouston.org/facts.
Congratulations and Thank You
Rockridge Park has completed and maintains the Houston Police Department’s Blue Star designation.