Stockton council presses staff to shorten AI-driven code-enforcement education window

City staff told the Stockton City Council on Feb. 18 that an AI system known as CityDetect has analyzed more than 102,000 images across the city and flagged roughly 30,000 potential blight violations, a lead-generation tool meant to make code enforcement more proactive. Almarosa Vargas, Police Services Manager for Code Enforcement, said the system is paired with the RISE program — an educational outreach workflow that mails a single photo-based advisory to property owners and tenants, with the stated goal of achieving voluntary compliance.

Vargas said the program’s initial rollout focused on the clearest blight detections — vehicles on lawns, overgrown yards and boarded windows — and that roughly 730 educational letters have been sent so far, with an early verification showing about an 80% voluntary compliance rate. “If I send out 1,000 letters and 80% comply, that means my code officers only have to focus on that 20%,” Vargas said.

The council’s discussion centered on how long the city should allow for voluntary compliance before moving to formal enforcement. Vice Mayor Jason Lee said he supports earlier enforcement and asked staff why the prior council had recommended a six-month education window. Vargas replied that the previous approach prioritized broad community education and camera calibration during the pilot phase, and that staff had been triaging the worst-of-worst cases first. Council members repeatedly raised equity questions: whether notices should account for drought conditions, senior or disabled residents, and applicants who need permits for repairs.

Several councilmembers and members of the public urged staff to return with tighter timelines and support proposals so the city can address chronic blight more quickly. Councilwoman Padilla directed staff to bring the item back on March 4 with a proposal to shorten the education period; a majority of the council supported returning the item for formal action. Vargas said staff can and will exclude certain detection categories (for example, lawn color during a declared drought) and that for permit-related repairs the department grants extensions when contacted.

Staff also discussed enforcement resources. Vargas said CityDetect is a lead-generation tool, not a replacement for officers, and noted the department is working to improve staffing after prior vacancies. The department reported it currently has 17 code enforcement officers allocated citywide and proposed a staffing model that would increase that number.

The council’s direction to staff was procedural: return on March 4 with a plan to expedite enforcement (Padilla asked specifically to explore a 60-day educational period). The council did not adopt an enforcement change that night; it instructed staff to report back with an actionable recommendation that addresses drought sensitivity, permit timelines, and targeted assistance for low-income or trauma-affected residents.

What’s next: Staff will return March 4 with a revised enforcement timeline and recommended operational changes that would include clarifying which detections will be excluded during drought declarations and identifying options for a hardship or assistance fund for qualifying households.