City considers 'red-tagging' problem houses (moved from ATSNN)

The city of Lincoln, Nebraska, is considering physically "red-tagging" properties with public notices warning passersby that the property is in trouble with the law. The practice is patterned off a similar Arizona law enforcement practice. The proposal would require the notices to stay posted for 120 days. Premature removal of the tag would result in a fine or further law enforcement action.



What a novel approach...

Goes too far? Dunno. But I do understand the due process concerns raised by some opponents of the plan.

I'm not sure I'd trust every law enforcement officer's judgment on when it would be appropriate to wallpaper my front door. Moreover, can you imagine all the possible abuses?

Are you starting to see a theme develop in our country?

On a side note, I found the following amusing:

it takes “a gallon of gasoline and a razor blade” to get the red signs off once the police stick them on a house.

Yikes. She used gasoline????




[edit on 13-1-2006 by loam]

From Source Article
Caudill got the idea from Tucson, Ariz., where police have the authority to stick red tags on what are considered disorderly houses — or properties where five or more people are gathered or where there’s excessive noise, traffic, obstruction of streets, littering, public drinking, fighting, disturbing the peace or minors drinking alcohol

Contributing to the drinking of minors is a bit different than littering. Quite a bit. Yet they want to lump it alltogether with a red sign? People from the street are just going to see red. Red is a color that has been associated all over the........immediate connotation brings up Anger. Plenty of negatives in that concept and indeed Red is a huge attention grabber.

What a potential misrepresentation for many people who get slapped with a penalty for some menial disruption....

What a lame tactic...

The neighborhoods being targeted are mainly rental propereties occupied by college students, exactly the audience that would most likely be "guilty" of excessive partying, etc.

Now, when I was that age, a law like this would be sure to be viewed as a challenge to see who could get the first red sign on their house. Then, whole blocks could compete for the honor. Then an entire nighborhood.

It's a silly law, imo. If the city officials want it to target real bad behavior, then have them red-tag houses where real crimes are common, like crack-houses. Then it could be expanded to include corporations that employ illegal immigrants, etc. etc.

Originally posted by jsobecky

If the city officials want it to target real bad behavior, then have them red-tag houses where real crimes are common, like crack-houses.

You wouldn't be able to distinguish them from the drive-by-shooting blood stains.

Originally posted by jsobecky

Then it could be expanded to include corporations that employ illegal immigrants, etc. etc.

Now, that is a fascinating idea!



[edit on 13-1-2006 by loam]

What is this supposed to accomplish other than public humiliation? Who's going to be humiliated by this, if they are already a 'problem house'?

It's not a scarlet letter, according to proponents. Sure it is. And it will induce the neighbor who doesn't like you to be quicker to call the cops when someone yells "Supper's ready!" too loudly.

Hum . . . is this tags in buildings that are rented or in houses that are private property.

I though that private property is protected by law.

So if somebody comes in my property to tag my home I have the right to stop them. Right?

Or we are losing that also

It will not surprise me if we have nothing left to claim as our own in this country.

Hum . . . is this tags in buildings that are rented or in houses that are private property.

I though that private property is protected by law.

So if somebody comes in my property to tag my home I have the right to stop them. Right?

I didn't see anything that exempts an owner-occupied residence. Who says owners can't be obnoxious too? Even if it is a rental, the owner can be fined for multiple infractions.

I don't know what right you speak of, so you are not losing any right. The city has the right to come on your property for legal business right now. If your house is in such disrepair so as to make it uninhabitable, they can condemn your property, and place signs on your doors stating as much.

So, if you're not doing anything wrong, like dancing the salsa dance too loudly, then you have nothing to worry about.

Well, it's a pretty stupid idea.

I don't see the benefit, and more than a couple drawbacks have already been pointed out.

One problem I can definitely see arising is prejudice on the part of police arriving to the scene. They get out of the car, see the red sticker, and proceed to make assumptions about what happened. It would be better if they assessed the situation from a neutral perspective, to avoid hassling people unnecessarily.

What Jsobecky says is also true, I think. The red tags will be worn as badges of honor by the problem houses. I wouldn't be surprised if people caused trouble just to get tagged. After a while, every house in the neighborhood is sporting a tag, and what the hell good does that do?

Pointless and wasteful all the way around I think. It'll Probably do more harm than good.

I could see this working for minor offenses, like excessive noise or something like that. They could make those 'red tags' similar to parking tickets, where they slap them on your house and have you pay a small fine, on the same order as traffic offenses. I think this would only work for incidents which are not serious enough to lay charges.