5 days ago
Huntsville Housing Authority discusses security upgrades at LR Patton community
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — A housing complex in Huntsville says it may be implementing a curfew, after a rise in gun violence. This comes after two men were killed in two separate shootings in the community last week.
Both shootings took place at the LR Patton community off of Binford Drive in Huntsville. The complex is owned by the Huntsville Housing Authority.
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The Huntsville Housing Authority first announced some enhanced security measures in a statement on Monday.
On Tuesday, News 19 sat down with Executive Director Antonio McGinnis, who said the measures are in an effort to 'keep out all of the bad seeds.'
'It's very important to me that we make sure these neighborhoods are safe,' he told News 19.
According to Huntsville Police, the first deadly shooting happened on May 25th, claiming the life of 34-year-old Alexander Dominique Dennis Sr.
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HPD said the second shooting happened in the early morning hours of May 30th. The Huntsville Police Department identified 21-year-old Tyrek Keshun Norris, as the victim in that shooting.
HPD said it does not believe the two shootings have any connection.
In the wake of these two deadly shootings in less than one week, McGinnis said it's time to get serious about security.
'We've already increased police presence in the neighborhood' he said. In addition to increased HPD patrols on all shifts, the Huntsville Housing Authority said it's working on a 'comprehensive review' of current security measures.
That includes lighting, security cameras, and access points.
McGinnis told News 19 that the Housing Authority is also working on implementing a 'temporary curfew' to limit late-night activity.
However, McGinnis said they'll only be sharing specific information about that curfew with residents.
'The whole goal is to make sure that those individuals who don't necessarily live in the community aren't in the community' He said. 'So we don't want to put it out to the community, but we do want to make sure that our residents know all of the details'.
'I think that will help eliminate a lot of the problems that are going on' he added.
McGinnis said there are 110 units in the LR Patton Complex. He estimated that it has around 200 residents.
He said it is also the responsibility of the residents to be mindful of their guests and to adhere to community guidelines.
'We want to encourage them [residents] not to have individuals in the community that don't belong in the community at this time' he said.
'I think that will help eliminate part of the problems that are going on, because what we found out is that most of the individuals who have been causing problems don't necessarily live in the community' McGinnis told News 19.
He said that, so far, the Housing Authority has mostly heard positive feedback about the changes. However, 'if a person doesn't agree, I can understand, but my concern is more the safety and wellbeing of those residents.'
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