Solving Chronic Nuisance Problems

55 Pages·2004·0.54 MB·English

Solving
Chronic
Nuisance
Problems

A Guide for
Neighborhood Leaders

SAFETY AND NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERSHIP DIVISION
John H. Campbell, Campbell DeLong Resources, Inc.
Solving Chronic Nuisance Problems:
A Guide for Neighborhood Leaders

by John H. Campbell, Campbell DeLong Resources, Inc.
www.cdri.com

Developed under the direction of
The Enterprise Foundation
Safety and Neighborhood Leadership Division
www.enterprisefoundation.org/resources

Created with funding support from
the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
www.hud.gov

Various parts of this document provide descriptions of legal procedure or discuss the application of
civil laws. However, neither the author nor the publisher is engaged in rendering legal services and
no part of this manual should be regarded as legal advice. If you need legal advice, seek the
services of a competent attorney.

Cover photo courtesy The Enterprise Foundation
Copyright © 2001, The Enterprise Foundation Inc.
All rights reserved.
Library of Congress Catalog Number: 2001089242
ISBN: 0-942901-95-9

Questions and requests regarding usage of these materials should be sent to:
Community Safety Program
The Enterprise Foundation
10227 Wincopin Circle, Suite 500
Columbia, Maryland 21044
410.964.1230
[email protected]
www.enterprisefoundation.org

Questions for the author should be directed to John H. Campbell at: Campbell DeLong Resources, Inc., 319 SW
Washington Street, Suite 802, Portland, OR 97204, 503.221.2005, www.cdri.com.

Portions of this manual were adapted from: Keeping Illegal Activity out of Rental Property: A Police Guide for
Establishing Landlord Training Programs and from The Landlord Training Program: Keeping Illegal Activity out
of Rental Property, both © 1989-99 Campbell DeLong Resources, Inc. developed with support funding from the
Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Copies of both manuals are
available for no cost at www.cdri.com or www.ncjrs.org/cpdocs.htm.

Creation of this work was supported by funding under an award with the U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development. The substance and findings of the work are dedicated to the public. The author and
publisher are solely responsible for the accuracy of the statements and interpretations contained in this
publication. Such interpretations do not necessarily reflect the views of HUD.

Contents
Acknowledgements...................................................................................iv
Foreword....................................................................................................v
Part I: The Dynamics of the Problem...............................................................1
Nuisance and Other Related Terms Defined...................................1
Defining Success: The Best Practices Solution...............................2
Weak Links in the System................................................................4
Pressure Points: Beliefs of Enablers and Perpetrators....................8
Part II: The Path to Success.........................................................................12
Preparation....................................................................................12
Introduction to the Civil Force Continuum......................................15
Level one: Communicate...............................................................16
Level two: Educate.........................................................................19
Level three: Raise the Stakes........................................................20
Level four: Issue a Final Warning ..................................................24
Level five: Take Civil Action...........................................................26
Conclusion.................................................................................................28
Appendix
What Makes Good Abatement Law...................................................A1
Resources......................................................................................A8
Finding Laws.......................................................................A8
Sample Laws.......................................................................A9
Programs...........................................................................A11
Research References........................................................A13
Endnotes.....................................................................................A15
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Acknowledgements

The Enterprise Foundation, a national, nonprofit housing and community development
organization, works with partners to provide low-income people with affordable housing, safer
streets and access to jobs and child care. Launched in 1982 by Jim and Patty Rouse, Enterprise
and our related organizations have raised and leveraged $3.5 billion to help create 120,000
affordable homes for low-income families. Since 1986 we have helped to place 35,000 people in
jobs.

The Foundation’s mission is to see that all low-income people in the United States have the
opportunity for fit and affordable housing and to move up and out of poverty into the mainstream
of American life. As the nation’s leader in community development, Enterprise cultivates,
collects, and disseminates expertise and resources to help community-based organizations across
the United States revitalize their neighborhoods. To find out more about The Enterprise
Foundation, visit www.enterprisefoundation.org or call 800.205.5122.

John Campbell of Campbell DeLong Resources, Inc. is a national community policing trainer
and consultant who teaches police officers, residents, and landlords the skills necessary to
revitalize impacted neighborhoods. He is the author and national director of the Landlord
Training Program: Keeping Illegal Activity out of Rental Property and has both written and
taught extensively on problem solving, crime prevention, and citizen involvement. Mr. Campbell
is also a drug elimination technical assistance consultant to the U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development. He has worked on nuisance abatement efforts in many states, and in many
neighborhoods, including his own. Additional information regarding John Campbell and
Campbell DeLong Resources, Inc. can be obtained online at www.cdri.com.

This project was made possible through funding from Grant Agreement B-97 NC MD-0002
between the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and The Enterprise Foundation.
Points of view or opinions contained within are those of The Enterprise Foundation or of Campbell
DeLong Resources, Inc., and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
-iv-

Foreword

S olving Chronic Nuisance Problems: A Guide for Neighborhood Leaders identifies barriers to
solving chronic nuisance problems, discusses ways that experienced leaders find solutions,
and provides a set of references for pursuing specific nuisance abatement goals.
Whether the nuisance is physical (such as blighted property) or behavioral (such as a drug
house), the best solutions focus on the core elements that have allowed its continuing existence.
Nuisances become chronic when the dysfunctional behavior of a few and the enabling behavior
of many combine with key weaknesses in a community’s system for responding. With greater
understanding of these dynamics comes a better opportunity for lasting results.
The most effective solutions are based on such an understanding. They balance the need for rapid
relief with the importance of changing the enabling factors. The problem-solving approach
discussed in this manual includes five questions intended to guide the community leader through
a series of escalating steps to reach a solution. Step one begins with trying the simplest, most
cooperative approaches. The final step concludes with invoking the power of civil law. By
following the steps in order, effective leaders can ensure that most solutions are reached before
the final step is necessary.
The references listed in the Resources section (beginning on page A8) will lead you to a variety
of nuisance laws and case studies that cover how one town, one community, one neighborhood,
or even one person has solved chronic nuisance problems.
What is more difficult to find is a description for how community leaders approach such
problems — that is, the way they think about them — in order to achieve success. This manual is
intended to provide such a description. It introduces the reader to the dynamics of chronic
nuisances and ways that problem solvers approach finding solutions.
In this manual you will find:
1. Definitions and explanations of key terms, including physical and behavioral nuisances,
enablers, and guardians.
2. A discussion of the thinking required to achieve success, including the challenges,
barriers, and solutions that are common to effective nuisance abatement work..
3. A good set of references for pursuing nuisance abatement goals, which are listed in the
Resources section, including addresses for websites that provide more detailed information.
-v-
Written for those community leaders — regardless of rank, title, or position —
who are committed to removing chronic neighborhood nuisances, showing
others how to do the same, and doing the hard work necessary to make sure
their neighborhoods are decent, safe, and healthy for all.
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