50°
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
7 Day Forecast
Follow our weather team on social media

North Ardenwood apartment complex tops police response list for residential properties; unsurprised authorities ponder solutions

Related Story

BATON ROUGE - The apartment complex at 1251 N. Ardenwood Drive may be branded under a new name with new management, but old problems persist.

"We got a lot of calls from residents and members in that area, community members in that area, about the conditions there," Cleve Dunn, Jr., the council member for district six, which includes the apartment complex, said.

The complex once called Serenity Apartments is now marketed as Greenview and has been the focus of several WBRZ reports highlighting maintenance woes and sewer problems.

In data provided by the Baton Rouge Police Department, officers have been dispatched to the Greenview this year more than any other residential address in the city.

To date, 439 calls for service have been reported there since Jan. 1.

Dispatched calls can range from stalled vehicles to shootings.

Of the 439 calls this year, police say 15 have been for assault or battery reports. Another 14 for shootings or reports of shots fired, and 13 for thefts.

"There have been some challenges there with crime and things of that nature," Dunn said. "I think improving the conditions of the facility and the environment will directly address some of the crime issues that you see over there."

That Greenview, previously Serenity, tops the list doesn't shock Dunn.

"I don't necessarily come as a surprise to me," Dunn said. "In the 90s, when I was coming up, Tall Timbers was a desired location, very beautiful facility. A lot of people desired to live there. It's not the place that it once was."

Dunn argues blight and dilapidated properties nearby play a role in some of the crime problems. Shortly after taking office, he rounded up management and residents to work through some of the issues.

Since then, he's also met with the new owners. While he's noticed some progress, he says it's not yet enough to turn the trend. To do that, he adds, everyone at the complex will need to be on board.

"One being the ownership, improving the facilities, attracting better candidates to live [at] the property," Dunn said. "But, also the tenants there. They create the community. They create the environment."

News

Desktop News

Click to open Continuous News in a sidebar that updates in real-time.
Radar
7 Days