HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 02061990 - S.2 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
FROM: Supervisor Nancy Fanden Contra
Carta
February b, 1990
DATE( I& County
UTILIZING THE UNIFORM BUILDING CODE
SUBJECT( FOR CLEANING UP CRACK HdUSES
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RI:COMMENDATION(S) S BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMENDATION:
That the County Administrator look into the feasibility of
expanding the County Code Enforcement Program to one similar
to the Beat Health program developed for the City of
Oakland to clean up crack houses.
That a report on the feasibility of such a program will be
presented to the Board of supervisors no later than February
27, 1990.
.BACKGROUND:
Beat Health is an idea that started in 1988 due to the
frustration of an Oakland Police Sergeant, Bob Crawford, a
21-year veteran of the force. He went to check out the
latest in a series of complains about a house that was being
used for prostitution, among other crimes. At the house he
found a woman who had been arrested before, but no law was
being broken.
Frustrated, Crawford looked down at the electric meter and
saw that it had been bypassed. He realized that a crime
was being committed - the theft of electricity. He called
PG&E and had them cut the wire.
Eventually the woman moved out, and the neighbors were very
happy that somebody did something, and it actually worked.
After that incident, Crawford kept an eye out for ways to
use the city codes to fight crime. Every time something
good happened, the police or the city got calls of support
and finally the chief of police endorsed and finalized what
had become Beat Health - a unit of cops whose job it is to
interrupt crime, not just inconvenience criminals.
The program works because of the coordinated efforts of law
enforcement, health department, code enforcement & building
inspection departments.
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENTS YES SIGNAYUR11-
RtCOMMtNDAYION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
«...—APPROVE OTHER
SIONATURE(S)
ACTION OF BOARD ON February Q, 1990 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
X UNANIMOUS (ABSENT — ) I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
AYES: NOES: AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
ABSENT) �. ABSTAIN: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD
OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN.
CC: County AdministratorATTESTED 9 6 1996
Phil Batchelor Wffbi the Board of
Supervisors and Ccumy Adrnbll**f
Mss /7•�s, eY , DEPUTY