Major Owens: “Crime in public housing developments certainly deserves special attention. A tiny percentage of criminal predators prey…”

“Crime in public housing developments certainly deserves special attention. A tiny percentage of criminal predators prey upon the overwhelming majority of hard-working families in public housing. Periodic police sweeps of public areas and vacant areas is very much in order, but knocking down the doors of occupied apartments is never in order. Mr. Speaker, crime control for public housing requires a comprehensive approach. One of the newest proposed components of such a comprehensive approach is the establishment of tenant-owned and tenant-operated security firms. Tenant-operated security firms must be a key part of the permanent control of crime in public housing; that well-trained tenants with the best state-of-the-art communications equipment working in concert with the police do part of the crime eradication job in public housing. Tenants can do this job well and tenants can probably do this job at much lower expense than any others.”