Let's modernize the process of reporting occupancy code violations!

[jake-sl]

I'm working with Emerson Burch of the Highland Park Neighborhood Association and Officer Haley Gregory of CPD on her community engagement capstone project for graduation from the Police Academy. We've noticed a huge issue with reporting occupancy code violations to the city, currently a process handled by phone, mail, and paper. There's rarely any followthrough with reports, and no accountability due in part to the fact that tracking is done on paper.

The idea is simple: a simple web interface that allows Chattanooga residents to report occupancy code violations (caved in ceilings, boarded up windows, etc) and an administration and tracking panel accessible by city code enforcers to view and respond to these reports. This data could also maybe be anonymized and fed into the open data portal!

It's replicable and addresses a problem that's plaguing the city!

[seabre]

SMS support would be cool

[GiselleS]

Jake, this sounds like an awesome project!

Just a few thoughts to help clarify:

1. Are occupancy code violations different than housing violations? It certainly isn't easy to find or a pleasure to use but this housing violations reporting form http://64.203.102.178:8080/web_intake/Controller?op=locform&href&invSRType=NSCHOUSI&href&invSRDesc=Neighborhood%20Services%20Housing%20Violation&href&locreq=Y is out there:
   

The hidden location of the form above is:

2. Also, earlier in the year we saw some software that code violation inspector's use to track their cases. Not sure they use this for occupancy violations, but it would be interesting to dig into why/why not.

3. The city was considering the purchase of a new 311 system, might also be worth checking wether it comes bundled with it's own online forms, to avoid any work being wiped away in the future. Also the timeline for that new system - soon, distant future, never?

Hope this helps!