Housing Department Apparently Names Names

A code enforcement inspector for the Baltimore City Department of Housing may have released the name of the community group, which requested an inspection, to an irate resident. The resident received a citation for having a trash bag that was not in a can with a tight fitting lid,

In an email sent to me, the resident who received the citation said he was told by a code enforcement inspector that "someone" on the community association board had requested the inspection.

I was contacted by this resident because I am the President of the Violetville Community Association (VCA).

I did request an inspection of my Southwest Baltimore community.  I receive complaints from people because some of our neighbors put their trash out in plastic bags or in trash cans without lids.  Trash that is not placed in cans with tight fitting lids attracts rats.  Rats ruin a community.

It is incredible to think that the Housing Department is going to give irate people who received citations tips on who lodged the complaint.

The resident who received the citation emailed me last week:

"Good Afternoon Mr./Mrs. VCA President:
I have an issue...today I received an Environmental Citation and Order from the
Baltimore Housing Code Enforcement Division.  When I spoke with a Baltimore
Housing Inspector he told me that someone on the VCA Board requested that
Inspectors come out to Violetville on a requested date (5/16/2011) and issue
citations for Violetville residents who are in violation."

The resident ended the email by writing:

"Thanks to this individual, I will most definitely be looking to leave Violetville because it
has appeared that my family has over stayed their welcome.  My wife and I are
both teachers, we have young children and were looking forward to growing our
family in this neighborhood...not anymore.  Thanks to Sean Tully!"

It didn't take the resident long to conclude that the president of the community association was the "board" member that requested the inspection.

Had this resident been dangerous, I could have been in real trouble.  And, there is no telling who else the inspector possibly gave my name out to.

I contacted the Superintendent of Code Enforcement, Stanley Janczak, by email and asked him if it was the policy of his agency to give out information on those filing housing code inspection requests, but I have not received a response.

The short answer to that question should be no, the agency does not name names.

In criminal cases, the accused certainly have a right to face their accusers.  But in a housing code violation, the accuser is the Baltimore City Department of Housing, not the citizen lodging the complaint.  The citizen does not determine if a violation has occurred, only that the city should investigate it.

The police offer residents I. D. numbers that will keep residents anonymous when calling 911 to report possible criminal activity.  It would seem strange that those using the 311 system to report suspected housing code violations are not offered the same protections that anonymity provides.

I think if the Housing Department is going to give out the names of those who request inspections, those requests will probably stop coming and residents will lose another tool that they can use to try and make this city livable.