Operation Fight the Blight

About the Program

Category: Criminal Justice and Public Safety (Best in Category)

Year: 2013

The challenges facing today’s code enforcement efforts are many, but none as prevalent as the proliferation of abandoned and overgrown properties that have become a common sight in our neighborhoods. Vacant and unsecured buildings invite petty crimes, blighted property and structural conditions that can create a sense of despair, and become a refuge for illegal activities, particularly gang activity, and graffiti.Hillsborough County Code Enforcement took direct aim on vacant buildings, trash, overgrowth, junk vehicles, abandoned properties, and other factors that make neighborhoods unsafe and unsightly by creating a multi-agency task force and launching Operation Fight the Blight. Operation Fight the Blight began in November 2012 and consists of quarterly cleanup campaigns lasting from a week to 30 days. The task force includes County agencies like Public Works, Animal Services, and Parks, Recreation and Conservation; the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office; and outside agencies such as Tampa Electric Company.Taxpayers are not burdened with the cost of the cleanup campaign. Grants, including Community Development Block Grants, are used to fund Operation Fight the Blight. The Operation Fight the Blight campaign improves the quality of life in the communities and serves as an extension to bridge the gap between County government and the citizens.