LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Metro Police Department in East Las Vegas is celebrating what they are calling a “success story” at a notoriously dangerous housing complex. According to crime stats, at one point police were responding to more than 100 calls for service every month at the weekly rental complex. However, today the department declared it a crime-free zone.

Captain Kristine Buist credits the change to a partnership established with the building’s ownership, which included increased patrols by officers, added lighting, and increased security screenings for potential residents.

One resident, Charlene Epps, who has lived at the complex for six years, says the difference has been “night and day.”

“Oh, when I first moved here six years ago I didn’t want to live here, but my husband started living here. We moved in because he’s a maintenance man, and it was bad,” Epps said. “It was really bad. Scary to even walk around property. Shootings, drugs, people kicking in doors.”

In the spirit of the holidays, Metro also handed out presents to people living at the complex. Buist says that building a critical relationship with the community they serve is an important part of effective policing, and the department regularly hosts food drives, barbecues, and carnivals at the complex.