Hanover Street landlord vows better security after shootings

LYNN – The landlord of Hanover Street properties where a shooting and a stabbing have occurred within the past week said problematic tenants were being evicted from the buildings and better security measures would be installed.”I’m very concerned, and very upset about it,” Andrew Perkins, managing member of Perkins Realty Management LLC, said Tuesday in regards to the recent events.”With the cooperation of the Lynn Police department, we’re evicting the bad people in the building and the building is turning the corner. I’m especially happy the Lynn Police and City of Lynn are working with us, we anticipate to continue this in the future.”Perkins Realty Management oversees and / or owns approximately 400 units throughout the city and owns 34 and 38 Hanover Street, Andrew Perkins said.The buildings have been the scene of two violent incidents within the past week.A man was stabbed while trying to break up a domestic incident on Wednesday, Aug. 7. Edwin Magenst-Wiscowic, 32, of 100 Willow St., was arrested and charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, a knife, at 12:45 a.m. Thursday, in connection with the incident.A shooting on Saturday left two individuals wounded. Joshua Cromwell was arrested and charged with assault to murder and guns charges on Tuesday (see story above).Meanwhile, residents of the properties told the Daily Item they were scared living at the property and were sick of the violence.Some residents and family members of residents blamed people who visited the property. Another said that tenants of the property were to blame for conditions at the buildings.But all those interviewed, including Perkins, agreed some things had to change.Those interviewed repeatedly mentioned people who sit on the steps of the buildings, particularly the front steps of 38 Hanover Street, who intimidate and harass residents.Building resident Laura Gomez said Sunday she came out to sit on the front steps because those who were normally on the stoop were involved in the shooting and laying low.Building resident Richard Cushman wrote an email on Tuesday regretting he didn’t get interviewed on Sunday but explaining he did not go outside anymore. He said he could routinely hear the persons involved in the shooting on the back steps of the building.Perkins said he is aware of the issue on the stoops.”If someone comes home with bag of groceries, people don’t even move to get out of way,” Perkins said. He noted that he’d want a neighbor to help a person carry their groceries up the stairs. “They don’t do that,” he said.Perkins said he has posted no-loitering signs and no-trespassing signs to prevent tenants and visitors from congregating on the steps. He put picnic tables behind the buildings and let tenants know they cannot drink alcohol on the front steps. Perkins said some of the individuals who routinely hung out on the steps had been evicted and would be trespassing if seen on the steps.Tenants said, and Perkins acknowledged, the signs were torn down and picnic tables vandalized.Perkins also said he was aware of tenants’ complaints of broken locks and coins being stuck in doors to prevent them from locking.Perkins also said he was aware of drug activity at one apartment – which has led to complaints of people coming in propped-open doors at all hours and illicit drug use in the basement – and the family was in the process of being evicted and certain family members trespassed from the property. Indeed, he said one of the person’s involved with the alleged shooting and the alleged drug use had been trespassing on the property. That person could not be reached to confirm this Tuesday evening.Perkins also said he is looking into installing locks that require swipe cards for entry and installing cameras.Cushman said he did not know about any evictions – He said neighbors often greeted him with “snitches mean stitches” and harassed him and his son, so they didn’t interact with many other residents – but noted many people were m