DALLAS -- A jump in crime at a northeast Dallas apartment complex has spurred its manager to try and protect his residents himself.
The apartment manager at the Park Villa apartments showed News 8 the broken windows and kicked in doors at various apartments on Tuesday. Police reports show residents have called nearly 150 times to report crimes in the 700 block of Holly Hill Drive since Jan. 1.
The manager asked that his name not be used because he fears for his safety.
There have been dozens of burglaries and even a murder on the property in recent months. Dallas police said residential burglaries are up nearly 57 percent at the complex since this time last year.
The manager is so fed up with all the break ins, he's living at the complex to keep watch.
“I'm protecting the people who live here," he said. "I am doing my job, that's what I'm doing."
On Monday night, he and another man were carrying sticks looking for people causing trouble. Instead, they are the ones Dallas police ended up questioning.
"We were just walking to secure the property, and these police officers came," the manager said. "They make me sit down on the curbside, put my hands behind my head."
Dallas police said the men had bats, which were confiscated.
The manager said he's upset because he has spent months trying to get more police out to the complex to do something about the problem.
He said burglars broke in on Sept. 1. Patrol officers responded, but he couldn't get detectives to follow up on the case.
"I called the detective, left a message and no response comes," the manager said.
He has added security cameras and a security gate, but he said he needs more help from police.
E-mail rlopez@wfaa.com
