Code Enforcement: Why We Do It and What The Future Holds 

Matt Silver

S.T.A.R.T. Strategic Trauma & Resiliency Tactics

Nick Wilson

This highly interactive, peer-driven course provides law enforcement officers a fundamental understanding how the impacts of police stress effects the mind and body, tactics for coping with cumulative trauma, and strategies which promote holistic wellness approaches, mindfulness best practices, improved mental health outcomes and rebuilding resiliency into their personal and professional lives. 

Annual Code Enforcement Legal Updates

Curtis Wright

Recently there have been numerous laws and cases affecting various aspects of code enforcement.  This course will include a focused discussion on legal updates pertaining to code enforcement specifically, including: officer safety, homelessness and public camping laws; ADUs; cannabis, vending, due process and first amendment in code enforcement, among others, and updates of currently pending legislation. We will also discuss upcoming and anticipated trends in the law relating to code enforcement. 

Attendees should take away an up-to-date understanding of recent law changes pertaining to code enforcement and how to comply with them, and mitigate legal exposure for them and their agencies.

Introduction to Code Enforcement

Irma Gowin and Patty Camacho

Code Enforcement’s main goal is to protect the integrity of public health, safety and welfare. They control the quality of life issues, nuisances and violations of the health regulations that concern private, commercial and industrial properties, as well as all land use enforcement. Zoning Ordinances, Building Codes, Fire Codes and State Housing Laws are only a few enforcement tools which help control those dwellings that are substandard or unfit for human habitation, therefore endangering their lives. In otherwords, Code Enforcement Officers also save lives by gaining compliance. In addition, Code Enforcement, in the eyes of law enforcement, is a an important tool for crime prevention because the results are a positive restoration strategy. It is simply the Broken Window Theory in which abandoned and neglected properties attract criminal behavior because it is a sign that no one cares. Code Enforcement services reminds everyone that someone does care…

Trends In Foreign National Sex and Labor Trafficking and Money Laundering in the U.S. for the Code Enforcement Professional

Opal Singleton

Over the past three years, the U.S. has experienced a significant increase in complexity and volume of foreign national sex and labor trafficking cases operated by cartels, gangs, and TCO’s (Transnational Criminal Organizations). Most of these criminal enterprises focus on exploiting foreign national individuals who have entered the U.S. both documented and undocumented and are forced to provide labor or sexual services that generate millions of dollars that will be laundered back to Mexico, China, Thailand, or Eastern Europe.

This presentation will compare a variety of cases for both sex and labor trafficking operations with emphasis on physical locations such as warehouses, storage units, townhomes, residential brothels, commercial facilities guised as legitimate businesses such as cantinas, skin care salons, massage parlors, and even churches. We will also examine the trend of large-scale sex trafficking rings that use social media marketing, telemarketing centers, real estate, and casino money laundering methodologies.  We will explore case studies that show how innocent foreign citizens are recruited in Asia, Mexico, and South America and are coerced and tricked into sexual exploitation in residential and commercial brothels in California. 

Leveraging Technology to Maximize Your Program

Johnny Terfehr

In a post Covid world technology has become even more essential to the modern workplace.  Online apps allow residents to file complaints electronically with pictures and automated geo-location.  Office staff and field staff alike are receiving complaints, emails, management direction with lightning speed and seemingly all day long.  The public demands improved services from government, and we owe it to them to deliver.  This class will discuss technology implementation that can help reduce the strain and minimize unnecessary and repetitive workload.  Learn to use data to drive your program and focus your people on the right things at the right time.  Make use of routing optimization to save fuel and time.  Maximize the staff you have (as we all seem to suffer from not having enough staff).  Go from a few cases a day to dozens. It CAN be done, but you must have the right tools in place.

SB296: Code Enforcement Officer Safety Standards and How to Comply

Kellie Shin

This course will cover the risks and hazards that code enforcement officers face in the line of duty, the appropriate safety standards tailored to address the specific issues faced by the code enforcement officers, and the duty of each jurisdiction to develop the appropriate safety standards.

Beauty and the Beast: Administrative Citation vs. Criminal Prosecution

Eugene Alper

This seminar will demonstrate the advantages and intricacies of the administrative citation—an essential tool of code enforcement—and turn those who still do not use it into its loyal admirers.  You will learn how to change your Code, implement the administrative citation program, bring financial rewards to your city, and—most importantly—improve compliance.  Abandon the beast of criminal prosecution and live happily with the beauty of the administrative citation!

Cannabis Operational Permit

Ruben Diaz and Kevin Shin

This course will go into detail of legal cannabis operations and how it applies to the day to day code enforcement operations. Topics will explore operation, development, requirements, process and field inspections. Furthermore, illegal operation identification and enforcement.

• Provide basic knowledge/understanding of operations
•  Understanding the basic cannabis operation and development
• Pre permit submittal requirements
• Submittal Process
• Review of Code compliances (CFC) and implementation
• Field Inspections
• State of CA Licensing
• Local municipality licensing (Building, Fire and Law Enforcement)
• Cert of occupancy
• Operational Permit
• Code Enforcement Role
• Code Enforcement & Fire Marshal maintaining Cannabis Occupancies (TI, Changes in Operations, Construction, Land Use Violations, Changes of Equipment, Business Licensing)
• Quarterly-Bianual briefings on status of business
• Multi Agencies collaborations (OFM , LEO, Code Enforcement) in dealing w/ illegal operation, manufacturing, cultivations and retail enforcement
• Illegal operations identification and enforcement

Code Enforcement in a Time of Criminal Justice Reform

Matt Silver

The State has accelerated its changes to traditional policing and criminal justice; this has resulted in code enforcement being tasked with enforcing issues formerly handled by traditional policing, and doing so using administrative and civil code enforcement tools.  This course will focus specifically on three widespread and dangerous issues: drug houses, gang houses and places used for prostitution and human trafficking: State law authorizes cities and counties to abate these nuisances, and code enforcement provides the tools. This course will discuss the powerful laws that empower local jurisdictions to protect their communities and deal with these issues, and will also cover tactical approaches.

Attendees should take away a strong understanding of their jurisdiction’s options for dealing with many types of community safety and quality of life issues, including those formerly in the purview of law enforcement, from a code enforcement perspective and using administrative and civil tools.

Mental Health Overview and Crisis De-Escalation and Communication

Victoria Hall and Dennis White

This interactive workshop provides an overview of general mental health, the causes of mental illness and the signs and symptoms experienced with mental illness. Particular attention will be paid to the interface between law enforcement and individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. De-escalation and tactic communication and response tools will be discussed. We will conclude this training with practical application of group exercises involving a case study.

Code Enforcement Tools in the new Cannabis Regulatory Paradigm

Yvette Portugal and Denise Kohn

The City of Santa Ana is at the forefront of the commercial cannabis industry by allowing and regulating commercial cannabis business activities, routinely updating and amending its ordinances, and establishing commercial cannabis protocols to address legal and illegal cannabis operations.  The City of Santa Ana, like other local jurisdictions, have a compelling interest in ensuring that cannabis is not sold in an illicit manner and in protecting the safety, welfare, and public health of its residents and businesses.  Code Enforcement agencies at the local level have become the primary agents and are tasked to develop innovative and effective enforcement strategies that ensure compliance with the legal framework of Prop 64, the Adult Marijuana Use Act, as well as minimize the black market of cannabis growers and sellers that remain active in California. This course provides proven strategies in addressing legal and illegal cannabis operations from a code enforcement perspective and educates Code Enforcement Officers on effective abatement strategies.

Illegal Dumping and Fires

Ruben Diaz and Lucero Iniguez

This course will go into detail on the prevention of illegal dumping/fires and how it applies to the day to day operations. Topics will explore community outreach, education, mitigation and enforcement. What constitutes an illegal dumping & fire.

• Provide basic knowledge/understanding of outreach, education, mitigation and enforcement
• Creating an interdepartmental team to resolve the problem (task force)
• How to improve efforts to reduce illegal/unpermitted fires and dumping
• What’s Illegal & Unpermitted Fires
• What’s Illegal Dumping
• Where is this happening and why
• Who’s the Culprit, Residents, Business
• Why is this happening
• Key Observations.
• 4 prong approach (clean-up, prevent, educate & enforce)
• Code Enforcement & Fire Marshal Roles
• Quarterly-Biannual team meetings
• Investigation/Prosecution
• Multi Agencies collaborations (OFM , LEO, Code Enforcement, DA’s, Trans/Public Works)