Bon Air Apartments’ owners give city an update on safety

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - City leaders talked about safety concerns at the Bon Air Apartments at Tuesday’s Augusta Commission meeting.

Since December, Commissioner Catherine Smith McKnight has been working with the new owners of the historic apartments to add security measures.

Back in December, we found in six months, there had been 156 police reports filed within a one-mile radius of the apartments.

Among the latest crimes near the complex was the shooting of a pregnant woman during a carjacking Monday. It happened just before 7:45 p.m., sending the 30-year-old victim to a local hospital with an injury. The thief got away with her car.

The owners faced commissioners Tuesday to give an update on the progress of safety enhancements.

Right now, they’re working to replace back doors and add alarms, host community meetings with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, place security cameras that pick up license plates and purchase more cameras and lighting for parking lots.

In the long term, they plan extensive repairs and renovations.

“There are people that live there that don’t have anywhere else to go and they fear for their lives with people coming in and out of there,” Smith McKnight said.

The owners don’t have a timeline for the safety goals yet. But commissioners said they’d like to continue receiving updates on the progress.

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