Reported by: Brittany Shaw

Could there be a connection between high grass and high crime?

Christopher Cooke, with the Dalton Police Department, says there is.

"We're not talking a half an inch too high, but just unkept and the goal is to improve the community and to improve the safety of the community," Cooke says.

The idea that cleaning up the community and crime at the same time comes from what's called The Broken Windows theory.

 "If the neighborhood looks like it's rough then people will come into the neighborhood and commit crimes," Cooke says.

"With the deterioration of the property itself, criminals feel more comfortable in those areas that people aren't taking care of their property and they're more comfortable committing crime in that property," Cochran says.

Cochran says abandoned homes and buildings can be hide-outs for vagrants and criminals.

But the city's inspection checklist notes sagging rooflines, piles of trash, and of course broken windows as attributes that could symbolize an 'open door' to would-be criminals.

That's why, Cochran says, the code enforcement is already off to a running start.
Now patrol officers can notify Code Enforcement Officer Chris Cochran who can identify and investigate potential hot spots for crime.

"People picking trash up out of their yard, and inoperable cars on the road and stuff like that, those changes will come around quickly," Cochran says.

Cooke says it's always better to be proactive than reactive.

"All of this has a positive impact. Our main focus is the safety of the community," Cooke says.

To report a code violation, visit http://safedalton.com

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