HPD, Blue Star Multi-Housing Program 1200 Travis, Suite 757 Houston, Texas 77002 (713) 308-3900

The Houston Police Department’s Apartment Enforcement Unit offers the Blue Star Multi-Housing Program to apartment communities and other multi-housing rental properties throughout the City of Houston. The Blue Star Multi-Housing Program is a proactive program designed to reduce the potential for crime and to raise awareness in apartment managers, owners and residents.

About the Blue Star Multi-Housing Program:

Houston’s Police Department’s Blue Star Multi-Housing Program is designed to be a cooperative effort between apartment managers / owners, apartment residents and law enforcement, to abate crime and to enhance the quality of life for citizens living within Blue Star communities. The awarding of a Blue Star designation means that the apartment community has successfully completed all three phases of the program and has met the minimum standards for certification. It is hoped that, over time, many apartment managers and prospective residents will recognize that the Blue Star Multi-Housing certification will promote a safer and cleaner community with a higher quality of life.

How the Program Works:

Houston Police officers and other crime prevention specialists train apartment managers and owners in the concepts of Blue Star and CPTED (Crime Preventions Though Environmental Design) in an eight-hour class. After successful completion of the class, managers can request the Blue Star certification. However, the apartment community must first have a favorable CPTED survey of the property, according to standards established by the Houston Police Department. During this CPTED surveys, officers may assess such things as lighting, perimeter fencing, landscaping, on-site security crime prevention efforts and tenant screening procedures.

Once the CPTED survey is completed, the apartment community is required to satisfy all of the deficiencies cited in the report. Once deficiencies are resolved and upon the successful completion of an apartment-sponsored safety social, the apartment is awarded the Blue Star Multi-Housing certification. Annual inspections will be performed by Houston Police Department personnel to ensure that the high standards of the Blue Star Multi-Housing Program are being maintained. While no one can guarantee crime free community, the Blue Star certification indicates a shared commitment to reduce or prevent crime by management and police within the community.

Apartment Enforcement Unit:

Apartment Registration

All apartment communities of ten or more units (Sec 28-282 City of Houston Code of Ordinances) are required to register the ownership of the apartment community with the Apartment Enforcement Unit of the Houston Police Department. Registration requirements are as follows.

1. Registration for properties in existence prior to January 1, 2010, must be completed between December 1, 2009, and January 31, 2010.
2. An owner of a newly constructed apartment community must register within 30 days of completion of construction.
3. Registration information is to be updated within 30 days of sale of the property or any change relating to the owner's designated agent.
4. The failure of an owner to register property may result in the issuance of criminal citations carrying a minimum of $500.00 and a potential maximum fine of $2000.00 a day for each day of non-compliance. (Sec 28 – 291)

Apartment Crime Data
The Houston Police Department will administer and maintain a database which records the per capita crime reported on each registered apartment community. As per the ordinance, the data will be recorded as a per capita crime statistic for each property. This statistic is derived from analysis of a subset of UCR crime data as defined in Sec 28-282 "Criminal Activity."

Positive Interaction Program

Residential Security Task Force

Apartment Enforcement Security Ordinance
An ordinance Amending Chapter 28 of the city code establishs a program to reduce or abate criminal activity in apartment communities in Houston to promote the health, safety, and welfare of residents of such apartment communities.

City ordinance