When you join a community, you agree to follow its rules and regulations. Many of these rules are simple and intuitive – don’t abandon vehicles and keep buildings structurally sound are two common codes, for example. When codes are followed, they help to keep a community safe and stable.
Porter County’s Becky Harper is a code enforcement officer, and she’s tasked with ensuring county ordinances are followed for the safety of the public.
“As a code enforcement officer, I enforce county ordinances,” she said. “I go out into the community and inspect, investigate, and, if need be, try to talk to property owners when problems arise.”
Code enforcement requires plenty of fieldwork as investigating reported code violations requires going out into the community. As such, no two days are exactly the same.
“Basically, I do whatever is needed in the office,” Harper said. “My morning starts off as I check my email so I know what I'm coming into. I try to call people back who have a complaint and then go investigate the complaint to see if it's valid. I do a lot of fieldwork.”
Finding violations in the community and speaking to owners to address issues can be a difficult aspect of the job. Many people may understand that a code is in place without understanding the reason, and that can make them defensive when they find out they’re in violation. For Harper, this means employing patience to both resolve the issue and educate violators on how to avoid future violations. One common situation code enforcement officers in Porter County need to handle is vehicles parked on front lawns.
“If a car is in the front yard and it's not supposed to be there, I try to make contact with the owners,” Harper said. “A car parked on the grass becomes a hazard to rural communities especially those that use well water. If the car leaks and something goes into the ground, it becomes an environmental issue. Every code exists for a reason.”
Once a code enforcement officer has made contact with a code violator, they often give the violator a reasonable amount of time to address the issue. This dialogue helps violators understand the process and encourages cooperation over antagonism. Harper is only looking for what’s best for the community.
“Our goal is to try to keep everybody safe, to protect the public health, safety, and welfare of all the residents in Porter County,” she said. “There are so many working pieces that people don't see behind the doors. If I can help somebody understand the rules a little bit better and have them see it from our perspective, that's a winning situation for me.”
It’s rare that code enforcement officers see residents maliciously disregarding county code. Most violations are done out of ignorance, which is why code enforcement officers like Harper make it a point to get out into the community.
“There were some things I didn't realize you couldn't do in Porter County until I got into this office. It’s a learning process,” said Harper. “I am a person who wants to help people as much as I can.”
This help doesn’t just come in the form of stable neighborhoods. Code enforcement officers are often able to direct residents to important resources as well.
“Sometimes, things happen and people need assistance that they don't know how to get. If that's the case, I want to make sure I leave them in the right way and send them to the right person that they can get help from,” said Harper.
Ultimately, whether out in the field investigating potential violations or fielding phone calls from the community, code enforcement officers are always working towards the same goal: a safe home for all residents.
“Porter County has always been a big part of my life, so whatever I can do to protect it, keep it safe, and promote stable neighborhoods throughout the county is what I want to do,” said Harper.
To learn more about Porter County Code Enforcement, how to report potential violations, or how to get in contact with a code enforcement officer, visit www.porterco.org/1520/Code-Enforcement.
