PORT ARTHUR, Texas — New management at Avery Trace apartments in Port Arthur is taking steps to help make the complex safer.
The management team plans on adding more security cameras by the end of the year to hopefully crack down on crime.
Port Arthur Police Chief Tim Duriso tells 12News that just this year, officers have responded to over 200 calls at the complex ranging from family violence to shootings.
Duriso says it's not just the people that live inside the gates of Avery Trace that may be causing trouble, but people have even started beef on social media from surrounding cities and meet up there to fight, or worse.
"The last bad situation we had at the apartment was a shooting where we had two individuals that didn't live there got into a disturbance," Duriso said. "People hanging out loitering, trespassing of course aggravated assault, it's trendy sometimes it's slower than sometimes, it picks up."
Apartment Property Management Services took over the complex on Oct. 2. They're hoping to fix this issue.
Management tells 12news 100 cameras will be installed around the 600-unit complex. The cameras will be monitored 24/7 by the company Watchtower Security.
"I'm also told that they're going to have license plates readers. So, we'll know if a vehicle is stolen or maybe if there's a felon on the premise," Duriso said.
The license plate reader will be located at the front gate. When a plate is flagged, Port Arthur Police will immediately be notified.
One woman who frequently eats at a nearby business says this new security is a big relief.
"Me and my grandkids and my daughter we come out here at night and there's ambulances and fire trucks constantly," she said.
Duriso says 10 to 15 other complexes in the city are now using Watchtower Security and it's helping his department tackle crime.
"The more that they know we're able to catch and prosecute them, I think they'll start looking for other places to move. 100 cameras will be a tremendous help to the police department," he said.
Duriso says officers can access most of the apartment's security cameras through their phones. This can help detectives investigate crimes on the property and lead to more arrests.