In Atlanta, Using Social Media for Code Compliance

Christopher Seward looks at the Atlanta Code Enforcement Problems Facebook page whose purpose is to, "give Atlantans a place to post photos and information about code enforcement violations and problem absentee property owners."

"The Facebook page reflects the frustrations of residents who have to live near or pass by dilapidated structures, which police concede are not only eyesores that bring down already falling property values but also pose potential public health hazards, are havens for crime and erode the quality of life," writes Seward.

Due to the economic meltdown, derelict buildings are a growing problem in the city. Seward reports that, "Last year, Mayor Kasim Reed put the city's code enforcement under the direction of the Atlanta Police Department, which set out to eliminate more than 4,500 backlogged cases and deal with 1,200 inactive code enforcement cases."

Its unclear from the article if the city consults the Facebook page when evaluating new or existing code enforcement cases.