What should you look for on your own property and in your neighborhood?

The broken windows theory states that residents and property owners that monitor, maintain, and keep a clean and well ordered property send a signal that criminal behavior will not be tolerated.

This is a short list of some of the most common issues you should report to the Code Enforcement Team.

• Weathered, peeling paint on the trim, eaves, porch, or stucco
• Storage of household items and furniture in the front and sides yards and is also visible from adjacent properties and public rights of way
• Broken or missing windows
• Overgrown or dead vegetation, bushes, or landscape
• Overgrown trees into streets, alleys, or public right of ways
• Storage of dismantled, broken down vehicles on private property (concerns related to vehicles on the street should be reported to Whittier Police Dispatch at (562) 567-9240).
• Hoarding conditions

We strongly feel if you minimize these conditions on your own property you will set an example in your neighborhood that most neighbors can and will follow.

Additionally, reporting the locations of nearby properties with these conditions to the Code Enforcement Team may also have an overall reduction in potential crime for your neighborhood.

To conduct your own research of Whittier’s regulations you can review the Municipal Code.

Here are Four Additional Ways to Improve the Appearance of Your Neighborhood:

1. Call for bulk item pickups on large furniture items in advance (562-567-9500)
2. Offer to help to your neighbors with tasks such as cutting the grass, putting trashcans away, picking up trash, etc.
3. Plan a neighborhood clean up event twice a year
4. Sweep up trimmings and leaves on the sidewalk, in the gutter and street

Free viewers are required for some of the attached documents.
They can be downloaded by clicking on the icons below.

Acrobat Reader Windows Media Player Word Viewer Excel Viewer PowerPoint Viewer