Columbia Housing Authority looks to address ‘serious concerns’ at Kinney Point following recent calls for police
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Columbia Housing Authority is working alongside its partner organizations and the Columbia Police Department to address “serious concerns” at its Kinney Point Housing.
The affordable housing complex finished moving its residents into 34 homes in January. It’s located at Garth Ave and Sexton Road in central Columbia, and cost a total of $13 million to be build.
In a letter posted on resident’s doors Tuesday morning from CHA, CEO Randy Cole identified “severe lease violations” that were being looked into. However, detail as to what those specific violations are or who the violator’s are was not provided.
In CHA’s lease addendum “B” for crime-free housing condemns tenants, any members of their households and any guests they may have from engaging in criminal acts on or off the leased property at any time.
Violations include: All violent criminal activity, drug-related crimes, sexual crimes – including prostitution, gun crimes, domestic crimes, stealing, gang activity, driving under the influence and animal abuse.
According to the document, a single violation can be deemed a “serious violation” and label the tenant as “non-compliant” with the lease. That can lead to eventual termination of that person’s lease.
Police have been called to the 800 block of North Garth Ave area, where Kinney Point is located, a number of times since Jan. 15 when it finished moving residents in.
Most recently, officers responded to the buildings for gunshots fired on Saturday.
Criminal charges were filed the day before on Friday tied to a different incident in the same complex. Court documents allege Dolijamar Baskett threatened to shoot a female and admitted to grabbing a BB gun from his vehicle. Baskett allegedly told police he only pointed his weapon at his neighbor out of fear she might have one.
On July 28, another big scene had the parking lot to the complex blocked off as officers were serving a warrant in connection with something that happened the previous weekend.
CPD Dispatch logs show no officers were called to Kinney Point in January. In February, officers were called to the 800 block of North Garth Ave for reports of “Larceny” on Feb. 14, a “Suspicious Car” on Feb. 19 and a ‘Disturbance’ on Feb. 28. CHA records show only one official report resulted.
The complex saw officers called out once in March for reports of “Vandalism” on March 27, but no reports resulted.
April saw officers being called out four times for reports of a “Disturbance.” A call for someone trespassing and a “Suspicious Incident” also brought police out, reports were filed all six times.
In May, CPD was dispatched for two reports of a ‘Disturbance’ and one report of a ‘Suspicious Vehicle’ with two reports being filed for that month.
June saw more calls for disturbances with officers being called to the buildings four times. Police were also alerted to a “Suspicious Incident” in the area and responded to a harassment call, but only two reports resulted from those incidents.
In July, dispatch logs show officers reported back at the Kinney Point address for reports of a “Disturbance” three different times and another harassment call. CHA data does not have how many reports resulted for incidents at Kinney Point yet for July or Aug.
Between Aug. 5-13 police were called again three more times to respond to a “Disturbance.”
Jessie Jones was at Kinney Point Tuesday visiting a friend. He lives nearby at Oak Towers and said he likes the area. Jones described living in Columbia for about 20 years.
“Well, you know, sometime people can act a clown, but I don’t be in it,” Jones said. “Me and my girlfriend when we come home we stay up in my apartment, look at the TV and go to sleep.”
Jones said he tries to avoid any trouble in the area.
Cole said CHA has expanded to four full-time safety employees as a part of agency-wide redevelopment effort that’s been in the works over the past five years. Cole said Kinney Point also has extensive security camera coverage which is assisting with ongoing enforcement efforts.
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A photo of a car that drove off Transmountain on Loop 375.(Courtesy: TxDOT)
