The Crime-Free Multi-Housing Program [CFMH] is here in Jacksonville, and it comes with much promise for better city.  It is the effort of the Jacksonville Journey to reduce crime and improve neighborhood safety.   This program has proven itself in other cities to reduce crime up to 90%.  Jacksonville has 16,000 people living in apartments, where 42% of violent crime occurs.  If this program only reduced crime in apartments by 20%, would you be able to say it is a success; I think so!

This program:

- Mandatory Background Checks - Prevents convicted felons from renting.

- Terminates the lease of any leasee arrested on or near the leased property.

- Terminates the lease of any person whose guest is arrested on or near the leased property. 

- Terminates leases for anyone convicted of a felony during the active lease period.

- Prevents anyone previously evicted from a CFMH "participating property" from renting at another CFMH participating property.

- IT'S FREE! ..... it cost nothing to belong and only requires landlords to make necessary improvements to maximize the property's crime-prevention potential; such as improved lighting, fence repair, and 180 degree peep-holes for doors.

- It causes "undesirable tenants" to have to rent from a non-participating property.

- Tenants like it because it improves the quality of their neighbors.

- Landlords like it because it gaurantees a better-quality renter.

- Any property NOT participating in the program is gauranteed to get the "undesirable tenants" that nobody else is willing to rent to.

If your apartment complex is NOT part of this program, I would urge you to approach the management company and inform them of this new program.

If you would like to be a part of this program here are some contact numbers at JSO:

Zone 1 - Ofc. Dave Belesi - 647-6063 David.Belesi@jaxsheriff.org 

Zone 2 - Ofc. Mike Tomberg - 647-6063 Michael.Tomberg@jaxsheriff.org

I hope this info helps you,

Thom Stephenson, JTU Director