How does Community Assisted Public Safety (CAPS) work?
The CAPS team composed of property maintenance, police, fire, health, zoning and tax enforcement forms the nucleus of each zone’s program. The Commonwealth’s Attorney, ABC, finance and other departments are heavily involved, as well. The team, lead by the code enforcement official, partners with citizens in each zone to identify, track and abate problems with properties that pose significant public safety or blight issues for the neighborhood. Citizens attend monthly meetings and help to identify the properties they feel need the full attention of the city. The CAPS Team works with other city staff as required and the property owner, and reports progress at meetings. Problem properties, once accepted into the program, are tracked until there is resolution. If property owners are not willing to satisfactorily address their problems, the case may go to court. Should this action be taken, it is vital that citizens attend the court hearings to impress upon the courts that they, too, seek a
