Police OK to work in Clinton complexes
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CLINTON — The Board of Aldermen gave police officers Wednesday authority to work with management to fight crime in two federally subsidized apartment complexes.
The discussion during the board’s special meeting also revealed Capt. Mark Maples, who has been in charge of the town’s police force since February, resigned Friday.
Mayor Don Reason said Maples left the position for health reasons.
Alderman Johnny Beauchamp disagreed with the mayor, declaring Maples resigned because he did not have the support of the Board of Aldermen.
Reason said Lt. Troy Abshire is now the highest-ranking police officer in Clinton and as such is temporarily in charge of the Police Department.
Ida Jones, manager of Clinton Manor and Clinton Plaza apartments, said she wanted police to have access to the two privately owned, 32-unit apartment complexes to investigate and arrest drug dealers and other criminals who either live or come onto the property to buy or sell drugs, play loud music that causes a nuisance or sit in their vehicles and drink alcohol.
Police Lt. Fred Dunn said police have to have written permission from management before they can come onto the apartment premises.
Jones said she would do anything the Police Department asks to suppress criminal activity at the two complexes, including providing license plate numbers and names of those she suspects of committing crimes.
Jones said she also was going to set up a 9 p.m. curfew for all residents at both locations, and if residents broke the rules of the apartments, they would be cited for lease violations.
Clinton Manor apartments are off Plank Road and are mainly leased to elderly residents, while Clinton Plaza apartments in the Rileyville subdivision house low-income residents of all ages.
Dunn told Jones that he would provide her the cell-phone numbers of all of the town police officers, that he would continue to make patrols and would investigate, make arrests and give citations in efforts to get a handle on the crime. “But we need the community’s cooperation,” Dunn said, particularly when the cases go to trial.
Aldermen also authorized the Police Department to enforce the state curfew giving citations to juveniles under 17 who are out on the streets between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.
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