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HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 8286 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 8286 October 31, 2000 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council Subject: Neighborhood Crime Demolition Program 1873 I.R. 8280 included a proposal to expand the definitions of properties eligible for demolition in the Crime Control and Prevention District Budget. During the Pre-Council meeting of October 17, 2000 this proposal was briefly discussed and staff was directed to proceed with a revision of this definition and to present it to the Crime Control and Prevention Board at their next meeting. The original plan and budget for the Fort Worth Crime Control and Prevention District contained the component Demolition of "Crack" Houses. Prior to 1995, when the first District was approved, prototypical crack houses in neighborhoods, including armed guards, barricaded entrances, rapid flow of customers, etc., had become a menace in several neighborhoods throughout the city. At that time no funds were available to demolish these houses, which were seldom recoverable, and after a successful raid they remained a blight on the community. The budget for the District included $108,000 to demolish 54 identified houses, based on an average, of$2,000 per house. This project was continued over the next four fiscal years. At no point were 54 "crack" houses demolished in any given year due to the following issues: 1. The nature of "crack" houses changed by 1996. Dealers abandoned the fortified structures and took their sales to the streets, making it increasingly difficult to identify qualifying structures, and 2. A lawsuit filed in Dallas County placed a moratorium on the demolition of already identified structures causing a significant backlog. By the end of the first phase of the Fort Worth Crime Control and Prevention District more than $200,000 had accumulated in the Demolition of"Crack" Houses fund. These funds, along with the remaining funds from the Crime Prevention Through Substandard Structure Removal, were used to develop the 5% contingency hind required by the Council during renewal deliberations for the second phase of the District. Due to the virtual non-existence of "crack" houses this component was changed in the plan and budget of the second phase and re-titled Demolition of Drug Houses. Z:� Identification of houses solely being used as a drug sales location has become problematic in and of itself and we propose to widen the use of these funds through a broader definition and eligibility criteria. The new program would be entitled the Neighborhood Crime Demolition Program and would use an eligibility criteria similar to the former Substandard Structure Removal project. In addition to meeting the requirements for demolition set by state law the following criteria will be used to determine if a structure is unduly affecting crime and safety within a neighborhood: 1. Part I Crime rate in the neighborhood. 2. Arrests made at or related to the site. ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH,TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 8286 CIOA-AT "-y To the Mayor and Members of the City Council October 31, 2000 Page 2 of 2 Subject: Neighborhood Crime Demolition Program 3. "Broken Windows" offenses at or near the site, such as code compliance violations, health hazards, etc., that can lead to neighborhood deterioration. 4. Reported illegal drug activity at the site. 5. Reported gang activity or assembly. 6. Observation of gambling, prostitution or other vice-related activity. 7. Other documentation provided by observation by officers, community residents, etc. Unless City Council directs other-wise, in order to effect this change an item will be placed on the agenda of the next meeting of the Board of Directors of the Fort Worth Crime Control and Prevention District. This will occur on Wednesday, November 15, 2000, at 6:00pm in Pre- Council Chambers. We will ask them at that time to approve the scope change and eligibility criteria of this project. The budget will remain at $108,000. If you have any additional questions regarding this information, please feel free to Assistant City Manager Libby Watson or Police Chief Ralph Mendoza. Bob Terrel City Manager ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH,TEXAS Neighborhood Crime Demolition Program Eligibility Criteria 10/24/00 v1.0 1. Structural A. The Building Standards Commission must have determined that the structure is substandard. B. The property owner must have failed to comply with the Building Standards Commission order to repair or demolish the structure. C. The property owner must have exhausted his rights to appeal the Building Standards Commission order. D. The Code Compliance Superintendent must certify that the above conditions have been met and that the structure is ready for demolition. II Relationship to Criminal Activity A. Site must have a relationship with criminal activity if Fort Worth Crime Control and Prevention District funds are to be used to demolish the stricture. This can be documented through the following: 1. Part I crime rate (per 100,000 population) within the Police Reporting Area(s) containing the structure. Must include the rate for the current and immediately preceding year. 2. Arrests made at or related to the site for both Part I and Part H offenses within the past 2 years. 3. `Broken Windows" offenses at the site, including code compliance violations, health hazards, occupancy by transients, etc., that may lead to deterioration of the surrounding neighborhood. 4. Reported illegal drug activity at the site as evidenced by reports from patrol officers, Neighborhood Police Officers (NPOs), or Citizens on Patrol. Surveillance observations by the Narcotics Section may also be used for this purpose, even when they are insufficient to make arrests or obtain a warrant. 5. Reported gang activity or assembly at the site, which may also be reported by �� the sources cited above as well as the Gang Enforcement Unit and Comin' Up Neighborhood Crime Demolition Program Page 2 gang intervention staff. 6. Observation of, or arrests for, gambling, prostitution or other vice-related activity, which may also be documented through the above sources. 7. Other documentation which may be utilized shall include reports of crime- related problems compiled by Neighborhood Policing District Community Advisory Committees or other neighborhood groups. Such reports must be able to articulate specific crime related activity, including the approximate date and time of such activity and the best description possible of the participants and any vehicles present. B. The Code Compliance Superintendent shall be responsible for coordinating with the Information Technology Solutions Department, the various operational units within the police department, and collecting the above data. The Superintendent shall also: 1. Create a master file containing materials regarding related criminal activity and the certification for demolition. 2. Once necessary materials have been collected prepare a summary report. 3. Forward the summary report, along with the entire file to the Chief of Police who shall determine if the structure meets the criteria for demolition utilizing Neighborhood Crime Demolition Program funds.