Community Assisted Public Safety (CAPS) is a pro-active, team-based program to address and enforce property maintenance and public safety code violations within the City of Richmond.
CAPS is a partnership, with citizens and the city working together, to keep our neighborhoods safe, clean and healthy.
The CAPS program involves multiple city departments such as code enforcement, police, fire, finance, and the Virginia Department of Health, working as a team, to resolve issues with problem or non-compliant properties.
CAPS Criteria
For a violation to become a CAPS case, there must be activity at the property that spans the enforcement area of two or more city agencies AND meets one or more of the following criteria:
- The problem must have a standing history.
- The problem must have previous enforcement action.
- The problem must be public-safety related.
How Does CAPS Work?
CAPS is organized into four precincts based upon Richmond Police Department precincts with a CAPS team assigned to each precinct.
The team is primarily comprised of a property maintenance enforcement inspector who serves as the team coordinator, a police
officer, a zoning officer, a health inspector, a fire marshal, and a tax enforcement officer.
The team also involves a variety of other agencies that are called on as needed. A CAPS team uses combined enforcement activity to
maximize the capability of all city, state, and federal agencies to achieve code compliance at properties that are in violation.
When combined enforcement is exercised, the team has an opportunity to enforce more codes and insure that the root of the problem is
exposed; therefore making sure that proper correction of the violations is achieved.
CAPS Key Strategies
There are three key strategies that make CAPS a successful program. These strategies are building partnerships with citizens,
providing education on the elements of a healthy and safe community and the proactive enforcement of all laws and ordinances.
Program Components
Education
Emphasis is placed on balancing compliance efforts with education about the benefits of code-compliant property. With the support of involved property owners and an understanding of expectations, we believe most residents and business owners will take steps to improve their property and help in seeking ways to eliminate blight and maintain the City as a safe, comfortable environment to live, work and play.
Citizen Participation
Citizens have a vested interest in an improved environment and their involvement is key in identifying problem properties. The CAPS teams holds monthly neighborhood meetings in each of the four Police precincts to report on the progress of problem properties, receive information on additional properties, and discuss future CAPS and code enforcement projects in that precinct.
Problem Resolution
It is anticipated that property owners will be eager to correct any conditions that are unsafe, unhealthy or not in compliance with city, state and federal codes. For those who do not realize the value of clean, neat, and safe properties, stronger remedies will be pursued until the condition is corrected. A problem property will remain a priority until compliance is reached.
CAPS Neighborhood Meetings
Citizens are invited to attend their monthly neighborhood CAPS meetings to help the city maintain clean and safe communities.
First Precinct
East District Initiative Building
701 N. 25th St.
Richmond, VA
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6 p.m. - 2nd Wednesday of each month
Second Precinct
Southside Community Center
4100 Hull Street Rd.
Richmond, VA
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6 p.m. - 1st Monday of each month
Third Precinct
The Round House-Byrd Park
600 Swan Lake Dr.
Richmond, VA
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6 p.m. - 2nd Wednesday of each month
Fourth Precinct
Linwood Holton Elementary School
1600 W. Laburnum Ave.
Richmond, VA
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6 p.m. - 3rd Thursday of each month
