By Sara Beth Williams–
The Citrus Heights Police Department’s Code Enforcement team has more than doubled its proactive enforcement efforts over the last two years, according to officials.
In an update to the Citrus Heights City Council in October, Sgt. William Dunning highlighted the department’s enforcement team’s proactive efforts and reported that the team has seen major gains in both proactive enforcement and overall enforcement activity.
From 2023 to 2024, total code enforcement incidents rose by 41 percent, from 2,204 to 3,100. Proactive inspections more than doubled during that period, increasing 127 percent from 533 cases to 1,211 cases. Citizen-generated complaints also rose 13 percent, from 1,671 to 1,889.
The number of cases opened tripled, up 329 percent from 24 in 2023 to 103 in 2024, while cases closed also increased over 300 percent, from 24 to 100.
Comparing data for the first nine months of 2024 and 2025, the trend toward proactive enforcement continued, Dunning said. Total incidents rose 24 percent, from 2,327 in 2024 to 2,890 in 2025. Proactive inspections surged 144 percent, from 867 last year through September, to 2,117 so far this year through September. In contrast, citizen-generated complaints dropped 47 percent, from 1,460 to 773.
The number of cases opened jumped 153 percent year-over-year, from 60 in 2024 to 152 in 2025.
Dunning said the most common code violations involved neglected landscaping, trash and debris, and graffiti, and shared several before and after photos of cleaned-up graffiti, and weed abatement efforts.
The increases in proactivity and calls to service are due to the departmental shift in from a complaint-based code enforcement model to a proactive enforcement model over the last two years, Dunning said. As part of its transition to a more proactive based approach, the department has established code enforcement teams in specific beats or commercial corridors areas within the city, and has also initiated monthly proactive calls to service for specific high-need areas in the city.
In addition to reviewing recent accomplishments, Dunning outlined upcoming initiatives. The department is currently reviewing and preparing amendments to the city’s food vendor ordinance with the goal of enhancing the local shopping experience and supporting “shop local” efforts.
Dunning also reported that the department is in the research phase of amending the ordinance governing massage establishments. The proposed updates are intended to help prevent illicit business activity and align with the city’s ongoing anti-human trafficking initiatives.
Want to share your thoughts on code enforcement in Citrus Heights? Submit a letter to the editor or opinion column: Click here.
