Code Enforcement is Law Enforcement Part 3
Jake Slater, Director of the Department of Code Enforcement and Business Tax in Tampa, FL contacted me to comment on my most recent post about how code enforcement enhances law enforcement. He told me that Tampa’s crime rate dropped -46% since 2003, an astonishing result. He also asked me to survey my readers about studies conducted on the relationship between crime prevention and code enforcement.
I am looking at ways to more effectively track the performance measures for Code
Enforcement and would like to show the relationships between our systematic and
pro active code enforcement and the recently reported reduction of crime in the
City of Tampa.In your travels and networking, please feel free to share my contact information with other local government officials
You can reach Jake at Jake.Slater@ci.tampa.fl.us Also, please let me know about any studies that have been conducted in your jurisdictions on this topic.
What do you do when it’s the code enforcement officials that are facilitating the crime and not doing their job?
This isn’t exactly what was asked for, but I thought it might be helpful: http://www.lisc.org/content/publications/detail/5648 “Leveraging Code Enforcement for Neighborhood Stabilization” seems like a good introduction to how relationships between Code Enforcement and Law Enforcement can be beneficial
Simon
Thank you so much for this resource. I’m going to teach a workshop in the fall on this subject and it will be very helpful.
Linda
Hello. I am a veteran Code Enforcement Officer with just about 25 years of “field” experience and with a great deal of supervision experience enmeshed within those years. I have always held the belief that the profession of Code Enforcement has inherently been treated as the “Red Headed Step-child” of the Law Enforcement world and that many in law enforcement did not see this profession as one that meets the standard (whoever set them) of a law enforcement oriented division. In the several agencies I had the honor to work for and the great people I had the privilege to work with (many in law enforcement), I was amazed that after showing them (mostly field officers) just how code enforcement can help irradicate some of the most entrenched problem properties that have plaqued their communities, that these officers redically changed their view about code enforcement and began building a strong relationship with code enforcement rather than code enforcement having to PROVE themselves to law enforcement. In my website I noted the Jaycee Lee Dugard case as a relative example of how Code Enforcement can assist law enforcement in possibly solving similar cases and situations. This and other situations such as drug infested properties, gang houses and private property stolen vehicle recoveries are only a few of the issues that code can assist our police in resolving. I believe strongly that Code Enforcement IS “Law Enforcement related” and should be protected by our states Penal Code to the point that these officers become full or limited peace officers.
You are so right. What area of the country are you from? I just taught a course Friday at the local police academy on how code enforcement can enhance police operations. It was very well received and I hope I have many opportunities in the future to spread the word.
Linda
I am from Southern California. I am a victim of a lay off that occurred in April of last year. It has been very challenging trying to secure another position because of the economy.