Neighborhood Porfolio Exercise: Ocean Street Motels

In the last week we've been presenting some of our recent Neighborhood Portfolio Exercises (NPE). We are proud of this capstone requirement, which focus on community-oriented, problem-solving policing approaches. Today we look at Officer Steve Pendleton's NPE; which looks at the relationship between improvements to the motel stock, rental units and crime. Specifically, Officer Pendleton looked at the Ocean Street corridor.

Officer Pendleton noted that some of the local motels that have the worst reviews by travel review sites, the most code violations and/or the worst physical appearance, also tend to have higher instances of crime than other motels. Working with motel owners, property owners, local residents, Economic and Redevelopment officials and other cities that have looked into this issue, Officer Pendleton came up with the following suggestions for improving these motels and apartments:

• Increased code enforcement
• Rehabilitation grants (external and internal rehabilitation)
• Conversion into newer housing stock
• Loans and grants for painting, historic preservation and improvements
• Neighborhood clean-up grants

In speaking with other cities that have done this, like San Jose, Officer Pendelton felt the model could work well in Santa Cruz - and ultimately reduce crime.