Bronx residents and local officials are urging a Jerome Park landlord to update security after a string of burglaries at the Bronx apartment building. Tenants of the building claim they have been robbed blind over the past two years, and some are even convinced that it may be an inside job.
Despite reporting the thefts to the 52nd Precinct and landlord (American Rental Masters), tenants at the 49-unit building say nothing has been done. They claim that the thefts have been a tenant safety issue for over 2 years!
One tenant, who asked not to be identified for fear of a reprisal from management, said that after she was burgled last year she was shocked to learn that her neighbor’s key could open her apartment door. Another tenant, who has lived in the building for nearly two decades and was robbed last year of jewelry and electronics, suspected that too few surveillance cameras in the 90-year-old building has hampered efforts to catch thieves and that he believe the landlord may be sabotaging efforts to make the building safe.
Many tenants claim that throughout the history of the robberies there have been very few with forced entry and that suspiciously almost every apartment prior to the robberies received repair work done within the building.
At a Community Board meeting, Public Safety Chair John Snider promised the city would send a letter urging the landlord to make the building safer, and that City Councilman Andrew Cohen would also make contact.
If you or a loved one believe you have been the victim of unfair practices or violations regarding your landlord, it is crucial to understand you have rights. Contact an experience landlord-tenant lawyer to protect your legal rights.
