What's up with residents (or tenants) who feel they can just pile their construction debris at the curb in the parkway, especially near the Historic Woodstock Preservation District?
Where does pride in your own town play a role in this whole picture?
Piled on the parkway at 324 Dean Street and leaning against a City signpost this morning was an old piece of plywood and three 4x4s. Now, perhaps someone could use these, but are scavengers reluctant to stop and grab them, because the police might charge them with petty theft?
There are probably plenty of people in town who notice this and object to it. In fact, the City prohibits it. Of course, the City department employee who handles this type of enforcement is scheduled to work Monday through Friday, 8:30AM-5:00PM. Maybe that's why people wait until Saturday and Sunday to pile this type of debris at the curb???
In some communities the police department works closely with its town's Community Development Department, and officers themselves enforce the City Code. In Woodstock? No way. Is this type of enforcement demeaning? You know, below the "professional standard" of a police officer?
Who better to spot things that are out-of-order than the police officer who is patrolling his beat? As I understand it, Woodstock's police officers do work closely with the Code Enforcement Officer. They inform him of suspected Code violations. But the Code Enforcement Officer works only 40 hours a week. (He probably works longer than this.)
Officers could be trained and empowered to act on Code violations of this type. At the least, they could knock on the door, inform the resident (owner or tenant) of the violation, request compliance and issue a Warning. Then they could turn that Warning over to Code Enforcement. How much time would it take? Two-three minutes? Five minutes?
It's a chance to meet residents and develop good will. It's also a chance to get a look inside some residences and get a whiff of the breeze coming out. If there that "funny" smell? You know, that familiar one so popular with some people? Or is there then a chance to check on legal entry into the U.S. If you knock on the front door and hear people running out the back door, is it time to call for back-up?
In a small town like Woodstock, the police could work on code violations - not at the expense of "real" police work, but as part of attention to their beats. Chief Lowen calls taking care of the small stuff the "broken window theory." You catch problems when they are small, whether it's a broken window or debris or furniture at the curb.
What do you think, folks? Should the Woodstock PD devote a little of the "free" time to code enforcement?
1 comment:
If you are not part of the solution you are part of the problem. If all you do is complain and let somebody else do the "heavy lifting" you are part of the problem.
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