Behind the scenes, a SMASH operation begins with the HPD’s District
Command /Community Policing Unit.
The District Command officers work
hard to identify residences, complexes,
or other locations that serve as a nexus
to chronic criminal or social nuisance
behaviors within the city of Hayward.
Upon identifying their target location,
District Command officers conduct an
investigation into a location’s history,
including residents and any other participants associated with the nuisance at the
property. Through these investigations,
officers are able to obtain arrest/search
warrants or parole/probationary search
clauses as legal means to gain access into
the location. On the day of the SMASH
operation, all agencies convene to preplan tactical strategies and investigative
follow-up procedures.
24
California Police Chief | www.californiapolicechiefs.org
Upon service of the warrant or at
the point when police officers exercise
the search clause, representatives from
partnering agencies accompany the HPD
into the location. As the HPD conducts
its criminal investigation, other agencies
conduct a congruent inspections or investigations pursuant to their authoritative
domain. An after action report is provided to city management at the conclusion
of the operation. This report includes
arrests, violations, and a follow-up plan
for continued abatement and condition
improvement. Property owners and
managers are made aware of all follow
up actions, which aim to maintain an
expectation of improved behavior and
conditions. In the end, the offenders and
the property owners are held accountable
to correct or abate the identified issues in
accordance with established city ordi-
nances, and failure to do so results in
various fines and or penalties.
Although SMASH has seen overwhelming success, there have been a few
operations where the City was forced to
take civil action resulting in court ordered
receiverships. In one of those instances, a
property was ordered to be demolished.
To address the time consuming and
expensive nature of such civil litigation,
the City of Hayward adopted the Property Related Social Nuisance Ordinance in
November of 2013. This ordinance allows
expedient administrative action to be
taken against negligent or problematic
property owners who fail or refuse to
take corrective action to abate identified
chronic criminal behavior and nuisances.
Stacey Bristow, who oversees the City
of Hayward’s Code Enforcement, states
that the SMASH program is “a pro-active