While other media report that this is Murfreesboro third murder in 2017, WGNS feels the real fact is "this is the city's third murder in 19 days".
While city officials were talking tough to area apartment managers that specialize in housing MTSU students, a third shooting death occurs.
Murfreesboro has never seen a wave of violence like this, and police, apartment managers, MTSU and others are getting pressure from a frightened and irate public.
CITY MANAGER LYONS ON WGNS THIS COMING TUESDAY
Murfreesboro City Manager Rob Lyons will be on WGNS from 8:10 to 9:00 o'clock this coming Tuesday morning (5/30/2017). He will cover this shocking wave of violence, and the public will have an opportunity to phone-in and share their concerns (615-893-1450).
In addition, Murfreesboro Police Chief Karl Durr will be on the radio station a week later, on Wednesday, June 7, also 8:10-9:00AM).
Just six days prior to the third shooting death, city officials said that privately owned apartments near Middle Tennessee State University campus will be the focus of a strategy that will step up patrols and increase landlord accountability.
City Manager Rob Lyons said, "Murfreesboro Mayor Shane McFarland and other city officials met (5/16/2017) with the managers of apartments around MTSU who have the highest call for police service. They were advised that the situation must improve and they need to play a significant role."
Lyons shared several options the city would like complex owners to implement. "One successful technique is implementing a lease provision that requires immediate termination of a lease if a resident or guest at an apartment complex is arrested on a drug or violence-related offense."
Another tactic, Lyons added, would be aggressive and timely towing of vehicles without proper resident or visitor identification.
The increased saturation patrols and additional investigations comes amidst a disturbing uptick in gun-related incidents in off-campus complexes since mid-2016. Many lower-cost units in those complexes are rented by the bedroom, not as a full apartment, and are available to students and non-students.
The city also revealed it will create an inspection and awareness program. Scheduled to be launched this summer, the program will give potential renters and citizens more tools to identify multi-family properties that are actively working with Murfreesboro Police to deter criminal activity.
Murfreesboro and MTSU police officers will be made available to inspect security measures and practices in place at apartment complexes. Facilities that meet certain such criteria and implement the city's recommended best practices for safety would be eligible for a special emblem that could be displayed to prospective tenants.
News On The 3 Shooting-Murders
Between May 4 and May 23, 2017
