What is the problem or opportunity?
More than half of the City’s housing units are renter-occupied. Several landlords - including some living in and outside of the City - have expressed concern that they are not notified when police activity occurs at their rental properties. In the extreme, a rental property occupant could be arrested for, charged with and ultimately convicted of committing a violent crime at the rental property or elsewhere in the community, only to return to living at the rental property without the landlord ever becoming aware. Police incident reports are considered public records; however, these reports are typically only obtained via Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. Increasing landlord awareness of police activity involving their rental properties or occupants would likely result in a more accountable and safer community.
What can be done to address it?
The City could develop and adopt a policy to proactively send landlords police incident reports involving their rental properties or occupants. This proactive process would treat the release of records in the exact same manner that it would if it were reactively processing FOIA requests (e.g., redactions compliant with relevant protections afforded by state and federal laws etc.). This proactive process would not be expected to be administratively burdensome for the Police Department.
Last updated 8.16.23
Footnotes
U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2021 (S1101/Households and Families)
Phone conversations with Highwood landlords on 3.31.23, 4.11.23 and 4.12.23
Phone conversation with Highwood City Attorney Howard Jablecki on 5.10.23
Phone conversation with Highwood Police Chief David Wentz on 5.11.23
Meeting with Highwood Police Chief David Wentz on 8.11.23