Worksheet
Part I: Interview a Public Administrator (City Attorney, City Manager, Code Enforcement
Officer, Police Officer) by phone or email about Code Enforcement. NOTE: Be sure to omit
the name of the interviewee in order to protect their privacy.
Ask the interviewee the following questions:
1. Finding a balance between the need to enforce the law and the possibility of unfavorable
outcomes or feedback from citizens is the most difficult problem facing police personnel
enforcing local laws.
2. In California, municipalities need City Codes because they are essential to maintain laws
and keep communities in check. It ensures safety and improves the community.
3. Cities should establish open procedures, communicate clearly, provide options for
compliance, and stay trained up to guarantee equal treatment in enforcing local codes.
Part II: Write a 200-300-word summary of the responses and what you learned from them.
Include your analysis of whether or not the action taken in the code enforcement was
appropriate. Defend your analysis with research.
After my interview with a local police officer, I learned a lot from the questions I asked and the
responses I heard. First, striking a balance between community trust and the application of the
law. I discovered that in addition to giving officers thorough training and resources, law
enforcement should prioritize community involvement, accountability, and transparency. It is
appropriate that police act transparently about their procedures and hold people accountable for
their acts if they want to win over communities (SoundThinking, n.d.). Second, the importance
.