Daphne, AL Code Enforcement Discovers New Efficiencies with Modern Software
Daphne, AL is a city of almost 30,000 people on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay. In addition to enforcing codes and ordinances within the police department, Daphne’s two-person code enforcement department also works with the city’s public works department, the revenue department on enforcing business licenses, and the building department on stop work orders and work permit issues. Additionally, as non-sworn officers, the code enforcement department provides public assist and motorist assist when the city’s police officers are tied up elsewhere.
Moving to Modern Methods for Case Management
With limited resources and lots of responsibilities, Daphne’s code enforcement department was looking for ways to maximize their time. Unfortunately, they weren’t getting much assistance from their outdated methodology.
When Code Enforcement Officer Christina Brazell joined the department almost two years ago, the department was still operating on pen and paper. “We had 12 case file boxes,” said Brazell. “I didn’t have the ease of access to contact information, previous or frequent offenders. It was crazy. I ultimately had to scan all those files and then organize them on the computer.”
Having worked 19 years in communications dispatch, Brazell was used to utilizing law enforcement technology to do her job. “The State of Alabama is pretty top notch when it comes to technology,” said Brazell. But without tech, Daphne’s case file management was a slow, tedious process – so Brazell set out to find a solution.
Brazell began her software search in a code enforcement officer’s Facebook group where she asked fellow officers what technology they were using. She took their recommendations, set up a few demos, and invited her police chief to sit in on them with her. “I was very fortunate because obviously not every department gets to grab the chief and say, ‘Hey, check this out with me,’” said Brazell. “But he doesn’t mind, especially when I tell him, “This is going to make my job and yours a little easier when it comes to providing stats to the council.”
Top Priorities: Statistics & Reporting, Ease of Use and Contact Information
Apart from modernizing Daphne’s case file management, Brazell was also looking for the ability to better keep up with stats on the different types of violations they were issuing. “We have to issue weekly and monthly reports to not only our police commanding officers, but to council members,” said Brazell. “And that’s really hard to do when you’re literally typing in a memorandum and manually counting. It was very old school.”
While Comcate’s ability to aggregate data and generate reports was a big win for Brazell and the police chief, it was ultimately the software’s ease of use that sold them. “I was very impressed with the user-friendly features of the software,” Brazell said. “Since code enforcement is still generally new to me, I needed something very user friendly.”
Part of the “easiness” of the new software wasn’t just its intuitive interface, but the way it allows Daphne’s code enforcement officers to quickly access information, including property owner contact information. “Before Comcate, I either had to go through my phone and hope I had the right number, or dig through case files,” Brazell said. “Being able to quickly access contact information has been a really big deal for me.”
To further increase their field-savviness, Daphne also recently acquired mobile printers for the officers to carry in their trucks. “So now we can print those violations in the field versus having to come back and mail them,” Brazell said. “That is going to be a big change for us, because I can issue the notice, put it on the door and walk away.”
A Quick Implementation for Immediate Relief
After Brazell’s first year on the job, her fellow code enforcement officer retired, leaving Brazell alone in the job for four months before another officer was hired. “For some reason, after our other officer left, it felt like the call volume and workload tripled.” With a high workload, Brazell was eager to get her new software implemented. “I was constantly texting and messaging our implementation contact saying ‘When can we go live?’”
While Comcate’s average implementation for most code enforcement clients is just 45 days, we were able to get Daphne up and running sooner, helping Brazell get the support she needed to ease her workload.
The biggest benefit to having software? “It’s just saved me so much time,” Brazell said. “It’s been really fun getting this done, because in the end, I see how much easier it’s making my life.”
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