The Statesboro City Council will vote Tuesday on the appropriation of funding for cameras at an area apartment complex under the city’s ‘Security Enhancement Incentive Program.’
Envolve LLC submitted an application to the City of Statesboro on April 21 seeking funds for security cameras at the company’s local apartment complex – Morris Heights Apartments. The complex is located at 24 Morris Street, though Envolve LLC is based in Montgomery, AL.
Captain Jared Akins of the Statesboro Police Department said in a memo to the assistant to the City Manager that Morris Heights Apartments “has seen multiple acts of violence over decades and is a high-level consumer of police services for quality-of-life crimes.” The memo reports that the complex has already installed cameras and tag readers, but this plan will cover “a significant extension to that existing system.”
Security Enhancement Incentive Program
The program was established in hopes of helping “owners of multi-family and rental housing units identified in densely populated areas that are rented and not owned and are experiencing relatively high incidences of crime.” The city’s program seeks to provide ‘assistance’ for fences, gates, and other barriers to access as well as for security systems and access control systems.
The city will reimburse the property owner for 50% of the total project cost with a $20,000 cap. As a condition of the funding, the system must be kept in operation for at least three years, though monitoring expenses are paid entirely by the property owner.
Additional conditions include 7-day storage minimums for video footage, participation in the city’s Fusus Registry for video sharing, and HD video quality with night vision capabilities.
It is also required that applicants for the program be in good standing for city property taxes and city utilities.
In May 2024, the City voted to award $17,875 to Stadium Walk for cameras. The City set aside $80,000 in ARPA funds for this program when it was created in 2023.
Morris Heights Apartments
As stated by the memo from Captain Akins, Morris Heights has been a hotbed for criminal activity in recent years.
Among the incidents over the years:
2014 – Statesboro police arrest slaying suspect
2016 – shooting
2020 – Undercover drug investigation leads to arrest of 2 Statesboro residents
2020 – Police investigate after man killed at Statesboro apartment complex
2022 – A woman was arrested after stabbing another woman during an altercation
2023 – Statesboro shoot-out leaves no leads, police ask neighbors to speak up
2023 – Increase in gunfire in the community
2023 – Walk for unity exposes pain caused by gun violence in Statesboro’s Black community
Quote for Services
The recommendation by the Statesboro Police Department is to approve the reimbursement for completion of work by Lockdown Protection LLC.
A quote provided from Lockdown Protection details $13,983.05 for equipment, labor, and installation of additional cameras to address building rear areas, common areas, and parking lots.
The city’s program outline and the application documents signed by Envolve LLC stipulate that the reimbursement amount cannot exceed more than 50% of the cost of the project, though the city is slated to approve $7,000 for Envolve – which is more than 50% of the project cost. 50% would be $6,991.53.
The Statesboro City Council will meet Tuesday, May 6 at 9:00 a.m. for the regular council meeting. Read the documents.
