FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO): The Fort Wayne Police Department is taking proactive steps to address chronic problem properties or CPP’s in the Summit City.
An ordinance, set to be introduced during Tuesday’s City Council meeting, aims to help public safety personnel reduce the amount of repeat nuisance calls. Public Safety Director, Rusty York tells WOWO News, some of those calls include things like noise complaints and calls about hotels dealing with parties.
“It’s officers just going out on a prostitution call or on a alcohol problem or whatever,” York said. “We’re just encouraging the owners of these business to take care of some of these issues instead of calling out the police department every other day.”
For example, for the first six months of 2016, four properties alone accounted for 734 calls for service.
York went on to say there will be two different types of categories when it comes to labeling a property a CPP.
“If we have five or more valid complaints or citations in a 60-day period for residential properties, it could be designated a CPP,” York said. “If there are 12 or more valid complaints or citations in a 90-day period for commercial properties, they’ll be designated as a chronic problem property.”
Once a property hits that CPP threshold, their property will be listed as such for a year and they must go through a remediation agreement. If the owner fails or refuses to abide by the agreement, penalties will be issued. Penalties imposed include: $250 per citation/complaint; $500 for properties designated a CPP twice in a 12-month period; and, $750 for properties designated a CPP more than twice in a 24-month period.
