Does high density mean high crime rates?

During a recent Post Falls City Council meeting, some said that high-density building projects planned for the area will equate to a higher crime rate.

Coeur d’Alene Police Chief Lee White disagreed.

“Apartments and condos, in and of themselves, do not create crime,” White said.

According to statistics from the Coeur d’Alene Police Department, city population grew from 50,155 in 2016 to 54,114 in 2020.

In 2016, the Coeur d’Alene Police department handled 1,467 property crimes. In 2020 they handled only 833. That's a decrease of 43% despite the population growth.

Police agree there are certain complexes that are visited regularly. According to Coeur d'Alene Police Capt. Dave Hagar, the management of a complex makes a difference.

“When you have active managers that are engaged, it reduces those issues,” Hagar said.

The Coeur d’Alene Police Department has a program called “crime-free multi-housing." Partnering with property management, officers teach what to look for when screening prospective tenants.

Developing relationships with management and providing them the tools to “run a clean apartment complex" is key, Hagar said.

When asked about the public's concern about high crime in relation to high-density housing, Post Falls Mayor Ron Jacobson said, "We hear it a lot. But I haven’t seen any spikes in crime or any data to support a correlation to higher crime.”

The recent issue in Post Falls concerned the rezoning of 239 acres slated to become the North Place East subdivision. About 30 Post Falls residents spoke out against the rezoning with some people drawing stating their concerns that high-density housing equates to a spike in crime.

“Where is the multi-family going to be placed?” asked Liz Bignell, a Post Falls resident who lives two blocks north of the development.

“Generally speaking, it is very transitory. I’m concerned about crime. When you pack so many people into a condensed area, it’s not as good for people.”

But multi-family and high-density can mean a number of things, according to Kevin Schneidmiller, vice president of land development for Greenstone Homes and Neighborhoods, the firm handling North Place East.

He said high-density refers to everything from townhomes to attached single-family duplexes to large apartment complexes.

“Our focus is on smaller town-home products, six to eight units per acre,” Schneidmiller said.

The North Place East subdivision was designated about 20 years ago as an R-1 zone, allowing for 1,200 single-family homes.

During the July 6 City Council meeting, the zoning change allows for up to 1,400 housing units, up to 10% commercial use, 7% of the land reserved for parks and open space, and the allowance of high-density housing.

Kootenai County's growth has spurred new construction.

Post Falls resident David Leonard spoke at the July 6 city council meeting, likened the population growth in Post Falls to that of his hometown, Brooklyn.

“I know what city living is,” Leonard said.

“But we’re Post Falls,” said Mayor Jacobson. “We’re not those towns.”