There's a new sheriff in the town of Frisco, Texas.  Actually, it's a new program that is designed to preserve property values, discourage crime, promote thriving neighborhoods, and increase community pride.  The program is called FACT or Frisco Assistant Code Team.

The program was announced on 7/21 during a Town Call Meeting and will be carried out by citizen volunteers.  In order to be a volunteer, you are required to attend a four (4) hour training class, where you will learn how to spot city violations.  Some of the more common violations are tall grass and weeds, trash and debris, broken fences, neglected pools, obstructed medians, and any clutter causing an eyesore.  The program will not regulate 'UGLY'.  People have different opinions about what they like and dislike.  These volunteers will not be enforcing their opinions.

What is the reason for this new program?  Well, based on the experiences of Greg Carr (Code Enforcement and Animal Control Administrator) once property values or other places begin to decline, it can cost a lot of money to bring them back up to code.  During the meeting, Mr. Carr stated that he "loves the idea" because "it places an extra set of eyes in the city" and it "expands the staff's effectiveness".  There are city codes and standards.  While most people live well above those standards, there are folks that get too busy and need friendly reminders.  FACT will help maintain the city codes we already have in place for Frisco.

The concept is that the volunteer will 'police' their neighborhood.  If a violation is found, the volunteer will leave a Courtesy Notice identifying the violation and suggesting how to 'fix it'.  The resident will have ten (10) days to take care of the violation.  The volunteer will re-inspect the property after ten (10) days to ensure the violation has been addressed.  If the volunteer finds that the violation was not addressed, they will report the issue to the Code Enforcement Division for further investigation.