USING TECH TO TACKLE CODE ENFORCEMENT VIOLATIONS. THIS WEEK, STOCKTON CITY LEADERS APPROVED CAMERAS THAT USE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE KCRA 3’S MARICELA DE LA CRUZ JOINS US LIVE WITH HOW THIS NEW PROGRAM IS GOING TO WORK. MARICELA. YEAH, LISA, THESE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ARE GOING TO BE HAVING THESE CAMERAS INSTALLED IN THEIR VEHICLES, AND THEY’RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GO ON ABOUT THEIR DAYS AS NORMAL. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY’RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DOWNLOAD THOSE PHOTOS, ANALYZE THEM, AND THEN IDENTIFY THE LOCATIONS WHERE THOSE BLIGHT VIOLATIONS ARE BEING COMMITTED. NOW, THIS ALL STEMS FROM A PARTNERSHIP WITH AN ALABAMA BASED COMPANY WHICH USES AI EQUIPPED CAMERAS TO IDENTIFY THESE CODE ENFORCEMENT VIOLATIONS. THOSE INCLUDE BOARDED WINDOWS, OVERGROWN LAWNS, GRAFFITI AND CARS PARKED ON UNAPPROVED SURFACES. NOW, OFFICIALS SAY THAT THIS SOFTWARE IS GOING TO HELP THEIR STAFF WORK MORE EFFICIENTLY, AND THIS DECISION WAS ACTUALLY APPROVED BY THE STOCKTON CITY COUNCIL JUST TWO DAYS AGO AMID A SHORTAGE OF CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS. THE DEPARTMENT HAS SEVEN VACANCIES AND THEY ARE STRETCHED THIN. THEY TELL ME THAT AT THE MOMENT THEY ARE ONLY ABLE TO RESPOND TO COMPLAINTS MADE BY RESIDENTS IN STOCKTON, BUT THIS COULD BE A GAME CHANGER. WE DON’T HAVE THE STAFFING TO PROACTIVELY IDENTIFY THESE VIOLATIONS WHERE WE SHOULD BE FIRST LOOKING AT IT AND THEN TELLING THE CITIZEN, HEY, YOU SHOULDN’T BE DOING THIS, EDUCATING THEM OR RIGHT NOW WE’RE JUST COMPLAINT DRIVEN. NOW, THIS PROGRAM SHOULD BE UP AND RUNNING IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS. SO AROUND DECEMBER TIME IS WHEN THOSE CAMERAS SHOULD BE READY TO GO ON THOSE VEHICLES. IN THE MEANTIME, THIS DIVISION OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS WORKING WITH THE CITY MANAGER’S OFFICE TO TRY TO INCREASE COMPENSATION. THOSE BENEFITS TO TO TRY TO GET MORE PEOPLE TO APPLY AND GET THEM TO WORK WITHIN THE DIVISION. WE ARE LIVE IN STOCKTON. MARICELA DE LA CRUZ KCRA THREE NEWS. SO MARICELA, HOW MUCH COULD CODE VIOLATIONS COST RESIDENTS? YEAH, THOSE CODE VIOLATIONS START AT AROUND $200 AND THEY COULD INCREASE DEPENDING ON THE SEVERITY AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT, YOU COULD ALSO BE FACING THOSE RECOVERY FEES. SO IT COULD BE A PRETTY PENNY. IT REALL
Stockton tests out AI-equipped cameras as they face a code enforcement officer shortage
The city of Stockton will soon begin using cameras equipped with artificial intelligence to identify blight violations, as they face a shortage of code enforcement officers.This week, the Stockton City Council approved a one-year partnership with City Detect, an Alabama-based company that will help identify code violations such as boarded windows, overgrown lawns, graffiti, and cars parked on unapproved surfaces.A total of nine cameras will be installed on code enforcement vehicles, and the officers will go about their days as normal; however, at the end of the day, the photographs will be downloaded and analyzed to identify the violation.Almarosa Vargas Fawal, the police services manager with the code enforcement division, says that this software will help staff work more efficiently, while they try to fill at least seven vacancies.”We don’t have the staffing to proactively identify these violations. We should be first looking at it and then telling the citizen, ‘Hey, you shouldn’t be doing it,’ we should be educating them. Right now, we’re just complaint-driven,” Vargas Fawal told KCRA.Once the program is in place and officers can respond based on their findings, they will get warnings.After that, fines start at $200 and can increase depending on the severity of the violation. On top of that, residents could also face recovery fees.The city council’s decision comes after a five-day pilot program at the end of January, where City Detect identified over 4,000 blight violations across more than 2,000 locations.Code Enforcement didn’t send notices or warnings concerning that pilot, but they did keep the data to push for funding for the program.The program is costing the city $237,600 for one year and there’s an option to extend for two additional years.City Detect is expected to be up and running in six months. In the meantime, code enforcement is working with the city manager to increase compensation and benefits and get people to work in the department.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app.
The city of Stockton will soon begin using cameras equipped with artificial intelligence to identify blight violations, as they face a shortage of code enforcement officers.
This week, the Stockton City Council approved a one-year partnership with City Detect, an Alabama-based company that will help identify code violations such as boarded windows, overgrown lawns, graffiti, and cars parked on unapproved surfaces.
A total of nine cameras will be installed on code enforcement vehicles, and the officers will go about their days as normal; however, at the end of the day, the photographs will be downloaded and analyzed to identify the violation.
Almarosa Vargas Fawal, the police services manager with the code enforcement division, says that this software will help staff work more efficiently, while they try to fill at least seven vacancies.
“We don’t have the staffing to proactively identify these violations. We should be first looking at it and then telling the citizen, ‘Hey, you shouldn’t be doing it,’ we should be educating them. Right now, we’re just complaint-driven,” Vargas Fawal told KCRA.
Once the program is in place and officers can respond based on their findings, they will get warnings.
After that, fines start at $200 and can increase depending on the severity of the violation. On top of that, residents could also face recovery fees.
The city council’s decision comes after a five-day pilot program at the end of January, where City Detect identified over 4,000 blight violations across more than 2,000 locations.
Code Enforcement didn’t send notices or warnings concerning that pilot, but they did keep the data to push for funding for the program.
The program is costing the city $237,600 for one year and there’s an option to extend for two additional years.
City Detect is expected to be up and running in six months. In the meantime, code enforcement is working with the city manager to increase compensation and benefits and get people to work in the department.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app.
