Varsity Place management speaks out

Tyler, Texas — Today, management of the Varsity Place Apartments sent out a letter to their Tyler renters about the recent crime at the complex. Peak Campus Management, which owns the Varsity Place Apartments, held a meeting with Tyler Police and UT Tyler Police. They want to enforce a "zero tolerance" policy on crime at the complex.

The letter starts by thanking residents for their continued residency at the complex in light of the recent criminal activity. The vice president of marketing says the letter was to, "improve resident's experience." Jessica Nix, VP of Marketing at Peak Campus Management, said, "They've probably seen some things around the property, have some questions, so it was a pro-active measure to give them the information of what was going on rather than have them speculate and wonder."

Varsity Place has asked for more patrol and teamed up with housing communities in the area to prevent future leasing to people who have caused problems in the past. Nix says, "Literally it is a police station trailer if you will, and they have set that up inside our gates and so it is a mobile police station and they are set up there 24/7."

One resident tells us although the crime activity wasn't his reason for moving out, it has caused him an issue. Alex Sims says, "My roommate, because of the shooting, he got scared, he's trying to find somebody to take his lease, so I'm not trying to be stuck here paying the rent for both of us."

Management tells KETK that residents are able to break their lease as long as they can find someone to cover it, however, that seems to be the hardest part.

Sims says, "No one wants to move into Varsity." He says residents shouldn't have to worry about finding someone to cover their lease in these types of situations.