Large Code Enforcement Department Pain Points
Large code enforcement departments face many of the same challenges as officers nationwide – high case volume, uncooperative property owners, a demand for increased visibility from leadership, etc. – but they also experience a set of struggles unique to those serving large communities. While large agencies tend to have more resources at their disposal than their smaller counterparts, those resources don’t always keep pace with the growth of the communities they serve, which often translates to an increase in case volume. That growth in turn can put pressure on existing systems and processes that may not have been designed to handle such a high volume of work, and even at times can lead to major organizational change that can throw a wrench in operations.
While every agency and community has their own unique set of challenges, we tend to see a few recurring themes from larger agencies that we work with at Comcate. Here’s a look at some common challenges of large code enforcement agencies.
High Case Volume + Outdated Processes
The larger your agency, the more important organization is to maintaining efficient operations – and the more difficult that organization and efficiency is to come by. Many medium-size and large departments that we partner with come to us with “making do” or “bandaid” processes: spreadsheets and shared drives, paper-based documentation, notices printed and mailed out from a central office, etc. These processes tend to not be the most efficient, but often it’s what the organization has always used, and it seems easier to maintain course than course correct – until the agency reaches a critical point with case volume.
When case volume is high, it puts pressure on existing processes. And when processes are not smooth, operations can start to break down and lose efficiency, creating a snowball effect for the department as open cases start to pile up. This issue is compounded for agencies in communities that are experiencing continual growth or agencies that have not revisited their processes and procedures.
Management of a Large Workforce
The more officers in your agency, the harder it is to ensure uniformity in enforcement among officers. It’s also much harder for managers to keep track of the workloads and roadblocks for every officer – making it easier for details to fall through the cracks or unwanted situations to escalate because they went unnoticed for too long.
Major Organizational Change
In communities where case volume is high, it is not uncommon for code enforcement to receive a higher level of visibility and priority from government leadership. This can sometimes be a good thing. If you already have the ear of the top decision-makers, it’s a little bit easier to get more resources or better explain your challenges. But higher visibility can also lead to increased scrutiny. At times when the administration feels that code enforcement is not performing as they wish, it can signal a major organizational change for the team, such as being moved from under police supervision to a more civilian-led division such as community services.
While transition is not always a bad thing, it does come with a particular set of challenges. Oftentimes departments will lose access to previous software and databases, creating a risk that valuable historical information will be lost. Major organizational change can also bring with it the onerous task of “starting over” and creating a new department from scratch, whether it’s simply resetting standard operating procedures to align with a new type of enforcement, finding a new software provider, or even hiring a new team.
Overcoming Challenges for Large Code Enforcement Departments
Big challenges can feel daunting to tackle, but it often only takes a few small tweaks to start the process to big change. Here’s a look at some solutions to common challenges faced by large code enforcement agencies.
Review Department Processes to Discover Efficiencies
When was the last time your department reviewed your standard operating procedures (SOPs)? Established SOPs are crucial in code enforcement for everything from training new employees and ensuring every officer follows the same processes to improving department efficiency and reducing legal liabilities. Even if your department hasn’t grown substantially or experienced a major transition in the last year, it’s still worth revisiting your SOPs to look for redundancies or inefficiencies and streamline operations to better manage case volume. Especially if you have experienced or are expecting an increase in your case load.
If you’re unfamiliar with SOPs or need guidance in updating pre-existing SOPs, you can find step-by-step instructions in our guide Creating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in Code Enforcement.
Start Over, Smartly
If your department is facing major organizational change, such as being reorganized to a different branch of the agency or transitioning to civilian-led code enforcement with a softer approach, you could find yourself in the position of having to start a new department from scratch. While this probably feels like an onerous task, it’s also a rare opportunity to draw on your experiences and set up the department in the manner you think is best.
For more information on starting a new code enforcement, see The Guide to Starting a New Code Enforcement Role.
Invest in the Right Tools and Equipment
If your department is facing major organizational change, such as being reorganized to a different branchIt’s a given in any government agency that at some point you will max out on the number of staff the budget will allow, no matter what volume of cases come in. While you can’t always hire additional staff members, you can empower the ones you have with better tools to make them more efficient.
Code enforcement software can improve a large code enforcement department’s capacity to manage cases, as well as enable supervisors to better track workloads of individual officers. When partnered with field tech such as tablets and mobile printers, large teams can start to see big gains in efficiency.
Case Management for Increased Efficiency
Code enforcement software can improve a team’s capacity to manage cases, especially for larger teams whose processes rely on more manual methods. This was the case for Orem, UT (pop: 96,000). After transitioning from the police department to Community Services, Orem’s code enforcement team had a backlog of cases to get through.
“When we first started, we had close to 120 cases or more that were open or had not been dealt with. We were trying to manage those on a shared drive or spreadsheet, and it was challenging,” said Kena Matthews, then Community Services Director for Orem. Once the department moved to Comcate’s Code Enforcement Manager, getting organized became easier. “The overall organization has really helped us manage a lot more cases than they were managing in the past.”
When case volume is high, saving even one or two minutes per case can really add up. With Comcate’s Code Enforcement Manager, it takes our clients an average of 2 minutes or less to create a case, document any violations, generate notices, and schedule a follow-up inspection.
Custom Dashboards and Role-Based Permissions for Increased Supervisor Visibility
For larger teams, software can also be helpful for managers to keep track of what every employee is working on from a central, filterable dashboard. “As a supervisor, I can go to one spot on the dashboard and see what cases are overdue to be revisited. Having that visibility is a benefit for me,” said Reno DiDomenico, Humane Law Enforcement with Rochester, NY (pop: 209,000). Not only does this help with department oversight, but it empowers managers with quick access to information in case they have to field a call from city administration, elected officials, or the public themselves.
The cloud-based functionality of the software also lets supervisors review work as soon as it’s uploaded, which can also be helpful in managing relationships with the public. “As soon as a photo is uploaded from the field, I can see it, whereas before the officers had to text it to me,” said Brian Jones, Division Manager for Charlotte County, FL ( pop: 202,000) Animal Control. “We have people calling in all the time saying ‘this and that’ and now I can see what they’re seeing, which helps me to speak to them. Before I would have to say, ‘Let me look at the report and I’ll call you back.’ Now I can do everything in real-time.”
Comcate: Code Enforcement Software for Large Agencies
Comcate has worked in the code enforcement industry for 20+ years. During that time, we’ve implemented our Code Enforcement Manager software at hundreds of agencies of various sizes. If your large code enforcement agency needs help streamlining case management and officer supervision, software could be the right tool for you. Fill out the form below, and one of our consultants will be in touch!
Schedule a Meeting with Comcate Today!
Learn how Comcate can help make government delivery simple, and offer a modern digital experience to help you increase transparency, efficiency, and performance across your departments. If you have any questions about implementing our software, please fill out the form below or call us directly at (415) 632-1248.
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