https://ghostarchive.org/archive/9ADWR

Archer said the patrol vehicle will help enhance the city’s beautification efforts while being fair and respectful in its code enforcement.

“This is about helping our residents,” Archer said in the statement. “We are combining innovation with accountability to make neighborhood stronger.”

Newport News City Council has implemented several codes changes to address blight since the community survey. The first authorized the city to repair private properties in August. Other new policies allow the city to demolish or acquire long-vacant buildings, add abandoned clutter to its nuisance rules, and establish a new rental inspection zone to ensure housing quality for renters.

Those changes have allowed Roach and his team to take swifter action on blighted properties. According to Roach, his department can now demolish derelict buildings before they become imminent hazards, require owners to develop plans to address problems with buildings rather than issuing court summons for people often out of state, and allow the city to acquire or improve buildings on its own.

The vehicle is meant to be an enhancement of those other tools, not a surveillance tool or something to fine residents for small violations like high grass or license plates, Roach said. It’s also not meant to replace the city’s 14 inspectors.