Roseville Police Code Enforcement: Improperly Parked or Abandoned Vehicles

During the five-month period reviewed in 2016, the RPD resolved complaints on an average of 10 days, which is under the “few weeks” noted on the RPD website. This figure is an average; the actual time required varied from one day to several weeks.

The 72-Hour Tow Database software is not capable of providing basic information for managers, such as the number of incidents, workload, contacts made, status of ongoing complaints, time and personnel involved and the cost of each operation. Conclusion The RPD Abandoned Vehicle Program must yield precedence to solving crimes and the many other activities performed by RPD personnel contributing to public safety. However, it is clear from the number of complaints that improperly parked vehicles are a common nuisance plaguing the public and consume considerable department resources. The availability of improved management reports would permit more personnel and budget resources to be devoted to higher priority issues. The RPD’s database allows the program to function but is seriously deficient as a record of activities and as a management tool. Even if careful efforts could overcome the problem of unreliable data, the logging system lacks the important capability to generate management reports. While the data can be analyzed, it is an arduous and difficult process which would be a poor use of managers’ time and efforts. These are not trivial deficiencies. Accurate information is the fundamental prerequisite for sound management decision-making involving budgeting, personnel and performance evaluation. Without this capacity it is not possible to determine the cost of the activities or the performance of the program; nor can managers make informed efforts at reform. Only a thorough review reveals potential issues which call for explicit solutions. As noted in the chart, more than 40% of the complaints concluded by a visit revealing the offending vehicle had already been moved. This constitutes a significant expenditure of resources. Data analysis also reveals that many street names showed up in numerous complaints. Even in the short periods - 102 - -2017 Final Report reviewed by the Grand Jury, some locations appeared in numerous complaints, suggesting that certain locations may justify posting parking regulations rather than conducting repeated visits. In spite of their technical shortcomings, the Grand Jury’s investigation determined the City of Roseville’s Municipal Code pertaining to abandoned vehicles is being administered by the Roseville Police Department in a competent and professional manner.