2015LocalGovernmentExcellenceAwardsProgram

ProgramExcellenceAwardsNominationForm(Allprogramsnominatedmusthavebeenfullyoperationalforaminimumof12months,priortoJanuary31,2015)

DeadlineforNominations:March3,2015

Completethisform(sections1and2)andsubmitwithyourdescriptivenarrative.

SECTION1:InformationAbouttheNominatedProgram

ProgramExcellenceAwardCategory(selectonlyone):CommunityHealthandSafety

CommunityPartnership

CommunitySustainability

StrategicLeadershipandGovernance

Nameofprogrambeingnominated: / LimestoneDriveProject
Jurisdiction(s)whereprogramoriginated: / Arlington,Texas
Jurisdictionpopulation(s): / 375,600
Pleaseindicatethemonthandyearinwhichtheprogramyouarenominatingwasfullyimplemented.(Note:AllProgramExcellenceAwardnominationsmusthavebeenfullyimplementedforatleast12monthspriortoJanuary31,2015,tobeeligible.Thestartdate[onorbeforeJanuary31,2014]shouldnotincludetheinitialplanningphase.)
Month: / January / Year: / 2014
Name(s)andtitle(s)ofindividual(s)whoshouldreceiverecognitionforthisawardattheICMAAnnualConferenceinSeattle,Washington,September2015.(EachindividuallistedMUSTbeanICMAmembertoberecognized.):
Name: / TreyYelverton
Title: / CityManager / Jurisdiction: / Arlington,Texas
Name:
Title: / Jurisdiction:
Name:
Title: / Jurisdiction:

SECTION2:InformationAbouttheNominator/PrimaryContact

Nameofcontact: / OsFlores
Title: / DeputyPoliceChief,CommunitySupport / Jurisdiction: / Arlington,Texas
Streetaddress: / 620W.DivisionSt.
City: / Arlington / State/Province: / Texas
Zip/PostalCode: / 76010 / Country: / USA
Telephone: / 817-459-5713 / Fax: / 817-459-5722
E-mail: /

InAugustof2013,theArlingtonPoliceDepartment(APD)implementedProceduralJusticeintotheframeworkoftheorganization. Thisintegrationwasaculminatingprocessthatoriginatedindiscussionsonpolicelegitimacyinlate2010andanevaluationonProceduralJusticeConceptsinMarch2012.ProceduralJusticepromotespositivechange,partnershipbuildingandproblemsolvingwithinorganizationsandthecommunity.WithProceduralJustice,thefocusisonfairnessandtransparencyindecisionmakingwiththegoalofcreatinglegitimacy.APDsharesresponsibilityinaddressingqualityoflifeissues.Weuseaproblem-solvingapproachtoreducecrimeandmakelong-terminvestmentswithourcommunity.

Problemassessment,thechallengeorneedthatpromptedtheArlingtonPolice

Departmentutilizethisprogram

PoliceReportingAreas(PRAs)377and376consistentlyledtheBeat(480)inproperty

crimes. Themainoffenseswereresidentialandapartmentburglaries.Morespecifically,therehadbeennumerouscallsforserviceintheareaofthe2400blockofLimestoneDriveandTimberviewLaneaboutgunfirebeingheardandreportsofsuspiciousactivity.Theresidentsinthisarealiveinduplexesthattheyownorleaseandmanyofthepropertieswereindisrepair.

Thefollowingmapdetailstheboundariesforthetargetarea.

Followingisaprofileofthisarea:

−68dwellingunitshousedin34townhomestructures

−10dwellingunitsareowneroccupied(15%)

−58dwellingunitsarerentalunits(85%)

−Averageageofstructuresis32years

Additionally,LimestoneDriveisanextremelynarrowstreetwhereallthetenantsroutinelyparktheirvehiclesonthestreetinfrontoftheirresidencesinsteadofintheprovidedparkingintherearoftheduplexesduetolackoflighting.Theseissuesledtoanongoingtrafficdilemmaonthestreetwheretwovehiclesgoinginoppositedirectionshaveadifficulttimepassingeachother.

Thefollowingtableshowsthatin2008,wewereaboveaverageincallsforserviceinthe4thquarterfromOctoberthroughDecember. In2013,wehadaspikeincallsforservice.WhentheinitiativebeganinNovember2013wehadalargespikeforcallsforservice. Inthefollowingmonths,APDsawadecreaseincallsforserviceby35%.

Programimplementationandcosts

Thedilapidatedconditionsobservedintheneighborhoodincludedjunkedcars,brokendown

fences,trashandotherunsanitaryconditions.Theseenvironmentalconditionsmadeitclearthatthisareawasmorethanjustapoliceproblemandtomitigatetheseissuesitwouldtake“anallhandsondeck”approachinvolvingnotonlyAPDbutotherCitydepartmentsandthecommunity.

APDdevelopedaplancenteredoncommunityengagementthatincluded:

−A“WalktheBlock”initiativethatinvolvedaddressingqualityoflifeissues.ThismeantvariousCitydepartments,includingbutnotlimitedtoCodeEnforcement,Firedepartment,AnimalControl,PublicWorks,comingtogether.Citydepartments

walkedtogethergoingdoor-to-doorgatheringinformationfromresidentsabouttheirconcerns.

−ThecreationofaCommunityWatchGroupintheareatobuild,improveandmaintainstrongrelationshipsandincreasecitizencontact.

−Thestart-upofaCopMobileprogramwhichinvolvesusingtrainedcitizenstopatroltheirneighborhoodsinCity-ownedvehicles.Thisprovidesresidentswithasenseofprideandownershipinthecommunity.

−Maintainingvisibility,conductingdirectedpatrolsonthestreetandinthealleywaysinordertomaketheresidentsfeelsafe.

ThefollowingimagesweretakenduringAPDandCitydepartmentscanvassingoftheneighborhood.

APDgatheredintelligencebymonitoringweeklycrimestats.Inaddition,APDfollowedupwithresidents’concernsaswellastipsbytheCitydepartments.DuringtheinitialworkfromNovember2013toFebruary2014,APDfoundnumerouscodeviolations,lightingissues,andwelearnedthatresidents,ingeneral,feltunsafe.Webegantoaddresstheseissuesby:

−increasingpoliceenforcement,

−executingawarrantroundup,

−helpingtoenforcecodeviolations,and

−educatingresidentsaboutresourcesthatareavailabletothem.

Wecompletedcomparativeanalysisofquarterlytrendsandamulti-yearplan.Thisplanincluded:

−continuedvisibilityandcommunityengagementbyAPD,

−continuedmonitoringoftheareaevery6monthsbyCodeCompliance,

−continueddevelopmentandeventualpartneringwithanareaCommunityWatch

Group,and

−maintaininggoodworkingrelationshipswithpropertyownersandtenants.

Tangibleresultsormeasurableoutcomesoftheprogram

Followingareresultsfromthismulti-departmentaleffortledbyAPDfromNovember2013

throughFebruary2014.

−64noticeofviolationsissued(62Codeand2Animal)

−42citationsissued

−5noticeofabatementsissued

−1emergencyabatementofastreetobstructionandtwoormorelargeillegaldumping

sitesabatedbyPublicWorks

−4smallerillegaldumpingsitesabatedbyCodeCompliance

Bymid-February2014,allbut1oftheviolationswasowner-abated(a99%compliancerate).

Thefollowingarebeforeandafterphotosofenvironmentalconditionsintheneighborhood.

TheUniformCrimeReporting(UCR)Programdividesoffensesintotwogroups,PartIandPartIIcrimes.Eachmonth,contributingagenciessubmitinformationonthenumberofPartIoffensesknowntolawenforcement;thoseoffensesclearedbyarrestorexceptionalmeans;andtheage,sex,andraceofpersonsarrestedforeachoftheoffenses.ContributorsprovideonlyarrestdataforPartIIoffenses.

TheUCRProgramcollectsdataaboutPartIoffensesinordertomeasurethelevelandscopeofcrimeoccurringthroughoutthecountry.Theprogram’sfounderschosetheseoffensesbecausetheyareseriouscrimes,theyoccurwithregularityinallareasofthecountry,andtheyarelikelytobereportedtopolice.

UCRPart1Crimesinclude:homicide;rape;robbery;aggravatedassault;burglary;theft;andmotorvehicletheft.

ThefollowingtableshowsUCRPart1Crimesintheneighborhoodovertime.Asthetableindicates,therewasadeclineinthesetypesofcrimesasaresultoftheworkbyAPDandCitydepartments.

4thQuarterUCRPart1Crimes-LimestoneDr.

6

55

5

4

3222

2

10

0

200820092010201120122013Jan-Feb

2014

4thQuarter5YearAvg

Lessonslearnedduringplanning,implementation,andanalysisoftheprogram

CodeEnforcementcontinuestoconductfollow-upinspectionsoftheareaevery6months.

WhenCodehascompletedinspections,violationnoticesandfollow-upcitationsareissued.APDofficerswillcontinuetheirpresenceintheareatohelpwithbuildingrelationshipswiththeresidents.Aletterwillbemailedtoresidentsremindingthemoftheaccomplishmentstodate.Overall,sincetheprogram’sinception,therehasbeenageneraldownwardtrendofoffensesoccurringonLimestoneDrive.Tacklingcommunityproblemsbyleveragingourcitydepartmentsandworkingtogetherinacollaborativeefforthasproventobeeffectiveandsustainable.