Police Working With Apartment Manager To Reduce Crime

Palm Desert police have been working with the manager of the Desert Fountain Apartments to help reduce crime in the area, a lieutenant told Palm Desert Public Safety Commissioners Wednesday.

Lt. William Sullivan of the Palm Desert Police Department said that the manager has expressed willingness to install peepholes in each of the apartments.

"He has verbally said yes," Sullivan said, adding that the department is also looking to make it easier for officers to give citations to trespassers, even during the early hours of the morning.

Stephen Aryan, assistant to the City Manager, told commissioners that the city has sent a letter to the property's owners.

"We sent the property owner a letter requesting his assistance in mitigating the issues there. I have not heard back from him yet. The letter was sent out a week ago," Aryan said.

During its Feb. 9 meeting, neighbors from the asked Palm Desert Police to do something about reports of .

Since Palm Desert police started upping patrols along the street, a football player was killed during a struggle with a police officer, who was responding to a report of a robbery. ()

Two other men -- and -- were arrested in the following days. Both have pleaded not guilty to robbery and burglary charges.