CAPS Code Compliance

Community Assisted Public Safety
Meetings held the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 6:00 PM
The Round House-Byrd Park - 600 Swan Lake Dr. (Map)

Richmond neighborhood “problem spots” are being eliminated due to the determination of citizens and City officials to make our entire community clean, safe and healthy. 

Based on the input from citizens of Richmond’s neighborhoods, CAPS investigates reported properties by undertaking a comprehensive approach that involves numerous City departments. CAPS teams consist of representatives from the City’s building, environmental, fire, finance, health, utilities, police and social services agencies who meet with citizens to identify properties having the greatest negative impact on Richmond’s neighborhoods. 

By using a multi-agency approach, CAPS maximizes the City’s response to properties that degrade Richmond neighborhoods. Dozens of properties – from dilapidated homes to unsafe rooming houses and illegal nightclubs – have been shut down, demolished or sold for delinquent taxes since the CAPS (“Community Assisted Public Safety”) program began in 2000.

In hundreds of other cases, building code or health and safety citations issued by the City have been successfully resolved once brought to the attention of property owners who want to do the right thing. CAPS is now a model program that Petersburg, Fredericksburg, Winston-Salem and other cities are seeking to bring to their area.

Numerous properties across Richmond have been improved because of CAPS as well as homeowners who take care of building code compliance issues that are brought to their attention.

How CAPS Works:

To qualify for investigation by the CAPS program, a property must require the attention of more than one City agency AND meet at least one of the following:

  • Must have had previous enforcement activity
  • Have had a long-standing history
  • Must be a public safety concern

To report a situation of concern in the Museum District, visit the city's CAPS website.

Click here to see the step-by-step process (pdf) of how the CAPS program works.

Click below to see news accounts of the effectiveness of the City of Richmond’s CAPS (Community Assisted Public Safety) program:
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