Official Web Site of the City of Phoenix

Abatement Detectives and Their Job Duties

Each of the six police precincts has an Abatement Detective. These detectives are responsible for numerous job duties including the following:

• Investigate nuisance properties in the precinct
• Prepare Crime Abatement reports to be filed with the City Prosecutor's Office
• Enforcing the city sign ordinance
• Writing administrative search warrants in conjunction with the Neighborhood Services Department
• Attending Slumlord Task Force meetings and providing statistics on properties in the precinct
• Work with the precinct Crime Free Multi-Housing officer
• Assist the precinct NET teams with problem properties
• Investigate and make recommendations on liquor license applications in the precinct
• Report blighted properties to the Neighborhood Services Department
• Deal with problem properties in the precinct
• Work with property owners to solve problems on troubled properties in the precinct

For area coverage map and contact information Click here.

Precinct Abatement Detectives

• Lance Hunt
• Ben Opfar
• Larry Santa Cruz
• Christopher Morris
• Scott Gabbert
• Oscar Cortez

Coordinator

Detective Brian Kornegay
Police Headquarters
620 W. Washington Street
Phoenix, AZ 85003
Phone- (602) 256-4303

Partnerships

Precinct Abatement Detectives work closely with the Crime Free Multi-Housing officers in the precinct. Some of the other police personnel the Abatement Detectives work with include patrol officers, community action officers, neighborhood enforcement team officers and neighborhood narcotics officers.
The detectives liaison with other city departments and county and state agencies attempting to promote positive changes in the community. Some of the agencies and departments the detectives work with include:

• Patrol officers
• NET teams
• Drug Enforcement Bureau
• City of Phoenix Neighborhood Services Department
• County Health Department
• City Prosecutor's Office
• County Attorney's Office
• Housing and Urban Development

View Before and After pictures of two properties that have been improved through the efforts of Phoenix Police Abatement Detectives Click Here

Slumlord Task Force

Formed in 1998, the Slumlord Task Force is dedicated to combating slum conditions throughout Maricopa County. Through intergovernmental partnerships, the Task Force is able to target problem properties, while providing outreach and educational programs to willing participants. Agencies involved include:

• Police
• City and County Prosecutors
• County Health Department
• City Neighborhood Services Inspectors
• Housing Authorities and others

Some of the resources offered to property owners include training in the Crime-Free Multi-Housing program and landlord/tenant law training, and Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED). Property owners are also provided with training on current crime trends and prevention methods. All training offered to property owners and their employees is available at no cost to the participants.

Although the primary objective of the Slumlord Task Force is to encourage property owners to voluntarily comply with state and local laws, the Task Force is equipped with an enforcement component. Types of enforcement that may be pursued are crime abatement investigations, administrative search warrants, directed law enforcement and rental property registration enforcement procedures.

Additionally, other state and local agencies are provided with training and information on a proactive basis. Members of the Slumlord Task Force go to other agencies and provide training on current laws dealing with crime and blight ridden properties. By performing these functions, the Slumlord Task Force has been able to positively impact troubled rental properties in Arizona by reducing crime and blight in the various communities.

The Maricopa County Slumlord Task Force has received national recognition by former Attorney General Janet Reno as a national model for law enforcement. Since then, several local agencies have adopted the model and have had success with solving problems within their own communities. The task force continues to strive to improve the living conditions in the greater Phoenix area through education and enforcement activities.

Abatement

The ultimate goal of Abatement is to rid a property of crime and/or blighting conditions. This is done by means of lawful notifications to owners, personal contacts with owners/managers and the use of administrative search warrants. Crime abatement can be a long, onerous process requiring many months and up to years to complete.

Crime abatement statutes (ARS 12-991 through 12-999) require owners of property to take actions that are reasonable and necessary to reduce/eliminate the crime occurring on their properties. The property owner must be sent an official notice and copies of report numbers to begin the process. If no action is taken, the property owner faces an ultimate penalty of a class 5 felony charge in residential property cases, a class 6 felony charge in commercial property cases, a $10,000 fine, and the possibility the property will go into receivership.

Incident Reduction on 107 Abated Properties

Signs in the right of way

Posting signs in the right of way is a violation of Phoenix City Code 3-6. Each sign is a separate violation punishable by a fine of between $250 and $2500. Violations of this Phoenix City Code should be reported to the Illegal Sign Hotline at (602) 534-7100.