Simi Valley, which has long been known as one of the safest cities in the country, recently experienced a spike in violent crime, but officials hope to make the city less appealing to criminals through a new program aimed at boosting the confidence of apartment residents and landlords.

Modeled after the neighborhood watch concept, the goal of the city’s Crime-Free Multi-Housing Program is to foster a sense of community among renters and educate landlords on crime prevention techniques and better tenant screening.

"We have a low crime rate, but we are not crime free," said Sgt. Joe May of the Simi Valley Police Department. "So anything we can do as a police department . . . and community, we benefit everybody. It’s just the first step to a crime-free lifestyle for the whole city."

Vickie Kinzer, a police crime prevention specialist, said communities that use the program, such as Mesa, Ariz., have seen police calls decrease approximately 80 percent.

The multi-housing program offers eight hours of instruction to landlords on topics that range from real estate law and the proper way to evict a problem tenant to how to prevent property crimes by cutting hedges for better visibility and planting cacti to discourage intruders from climbing fences.

After the properties have been inspected to verify that they meet the environmental requirements of the program, Kinzer meets with the apartment residents to explain the program. Kinzer said landlords from eight multi-housing units in the city have completed the training.

Residents are required to sign a form explaining that they will be evicted if they or their visitors engage in illegal or dangerous activity on the property.

"This program is [intended] to keep trouble from coming into the complex and train tenants, if there is a problem, on how to report it," Kinzer said.