Pubdate: Tue, 11 Oct 2005
Source: Free Press, The (Kinston, NC)
Copyright: 2005 Kinston Free Press
Contact:  http://www.kinston.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1732
Author: Bob Shiles

EVICTION POLICY A 'BALANCING ACT'

The number of crimes taking place on Kinston Housing Authority property may
be fewer than many people believe, but even Dal Wooten, chairman of the
housing authority's board of commissioners, admits there are problems.

"Yes, there is a lot of crime," Wooten said Monday. "Perhaps we could be
stricter in our regulations. What we are doing is a balancing act. We can't
just throw people out of public housing for just anything. That would be
counterproductive to our mission, which is to provide housing for people of
low income."

Wooten and Rhonda Abbott, Kinston Housing Authority executive director, both
say that U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development regulations
specify that anyone arrested on drug-related charges are to be evicted from
public housing. Violent crime, according to HUD, is also cause for immediate
eviction.

Wooten said that HUD's "zero tolerance" policy in regards to drugs and
violent crime is strictly enforced in Kinston. The decision to evict becomes
more difficult, he added, with other offenses.

"Even the police have to do a balancing act," Wooten said. "They just can't
arrest everyone."

Greg Smith, Kinston's director of public safety, said that in August there
were 69 incidents of crime reported in Kinston public housing complexes.
These crimes, he said, ran the gamut from assault and drug offenses to
vandalism.

"I don't know if there is more crime or not in these areas of the city,"
Smith said. "It is an area with a lot of crime, but you can't get a fair
reading just by looking at crime reports. You have to take into
consideration that these are high-density areas, so the crime rate may be no
more than in other areas of the city."

Smith said that police officers often get frustrated with the way policies
at the housing authority seem to stifle law enforcement in the projects.

"An officer makes an arrest and then wonders why there is no eviction,"
Smith said. "We have a challenge enforcing the policies on the books. These
are not always Kinston Housing Authority policies. They are HUD policies. A
lot of the problems we have are just communication."

Steps are under way to curb crime in public housing areas. Smith has been
appointed by Mayor Johnnie Mosley as an ex-officio member of the housing
authority's board of commissioners. More police presence is also being put
into public housing areas.

Smith noted that the city's special response unit, which for the past three
months has been spending most of the time in public housing projects, is
housed at the Mitchell-Wooten apartments. A traffic division substation is
also located at the Jack Roundtree apartments.

"This police presence is always helpful," Wooten said. "It helps build
trust. People will talk to these officers because they are not just cruising
through the area."

Smith added that he would like to see the most aggressive policy possible
under HUD regulations enforced for all crimes.

"We especially need to get rid of drug problems," Smith said. "If you get
rid of drugs, other crimes are reduced."

Greene County Public Housing goes so far as to evict public housing
residents who are not arrested on drug charges, but who allow drugs to be
brought into their homes.

"Our policy is that any family member that commits a drug offense or violent
crime is out," said Carolyn Herring, executive director of Greene County
Public Housing. "We have zero tolerance for drugs, whether it be on our
property or somewhere else. If I get a drug arrest report on any of my
clients, they are out. It's cut and dry."

Herring said that people are not usually evicted from her 286 housing units
for misdemeanor and small claims violations.
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