Blighted buildings, abandoned homes, and poorly maintained lots don’t just hurt property values—they quietly fuel crime. Chronic nuisance properties strain emergency services, attract illegal activity, and erode public trust. Yet their true impact is often missing from crime reports. It's time to connect the dots—and explore how tools like the health and safety receivership remedy can break the cycle.
Crime statistics often miss the real story behind problem properties. These nuisance sites—abandoned buildings, meth labs, drug hubs, or overcrowded slum housing—don’t always register directly in “crime stats.” Instead, they funnel resources into emergency services, depress surrounding property values, and foster spillover crime into adjacent neighborhoods.
Research from the Arizona State University Center for Problem-Oriented Policing confirms that abandoned buildings and lots significantly increase the risk of crime, particularly arson, assault, drug use, and gang activity. These properties provide cover for illicit behavior while lowering the natural surveillance that keeps neighborhoods safe. In some cities, properties left unsecured or in disrepair became hotspots for repeat calls for service. These become “chronic” nuisance properties, forcing fire departments and police to respond at great public expense, with no long-term solution in place.
The report emphasizes that environmental disorder encourages criminal behavior, aligning with the "broken windows" theory, which suggests that visible disorder and neglect in an environment can lead to increased misbehavior and more serious crimes. Worse, abandoned lots often suffer from delayed responses due to unclear ownership, probate issues, or absentee landlords.
Elsewhere, a 2016 study, titled Urban Blight Remediation as a Cost-Beneficial Solution to Firearm Violence, examined 5,112 abandoned buildings and vacant lots in Philadelphia (1999‑2013) and found that remediating abandoned buildings led to a 39% reduction in firearm violence in the surrounding area.
Spotlight on Hotspots: Chronic Nuisance Properties in Action
Before the deadly 2019 fire at the Alpine Motel Apartments in Las Vegas, the property had over 150 police calls and numerous fire and health-code violations, yet no effective intervention. Senior officers described it as “the worst of the worst.” Tenants lived in hazardous conditions, with blocked exits and no working alarms. The fire, which killed six and injured 13, revealed the consequences of inaction. This case highlights the urgent need for proactive solutions like health and safety receiverships in Nevada to prevent similar tragedies and protect communities.
Between February 2020 and February 2021, the Hyundae Resort & Spa in Desert Hot Springs generated over 400 police responses for crimes including assaults, shootings, drug sales, gang violence, and attempted murder, making it one of the city’s most dangerous chronic nuisance properties. After the property was red-tagged due to severe structural risks and a fire further endangered unauthorized occupants, the Court appointed Richardson “Red” Griswold as receiver under California’s Health & Safety Code. The Griswold Receivers team quickly secured the site, cleared hazardous conditions, and facilitated a court-approved sale to a responsible buyer committed to bringing the property back into safe, lawful use. Today, the site is stabilized and monitored, marking a significant step in restoring public safety.
In 1987, Portland, Oregon, became one of the very first major U.S. cities to apply public nuisance abatement laws to tackle drug activity. Specifically, city authorities used existing statutes—originally aimed at shutting down “bawdy houses”—to close down properties that were regularly used for drug dealing.
By that year, Portland had already employed its nuisance ordinance over 700 times, setting a precedent for other municipalities dealing with drug-related property blight. By 1992, 24 states across the U.S. had enacted similar legislation focused on addressing drug-related activities occurring on private property.
Source: https://popcenter.asu.edu/sites/default/files/civil_actions_against_properties.pdf
By targeting the hidden dangers of chronic nuisance properties through receivership and civil enforcement, local leaders do more than clean up blight—they prevent crime, restore community trust, and invest in long-term public safety. Backed by "Broken Windows" research and other studies, these proactive measures prove that reclaiming neglected spaces is one of the most effective strategies cities can take to reduce crime and protect their neighborhoods.
The receivership remedy offers a proven path to reclaiming these dangerous sites so cities can restore order, improve public safety, and reduce long-term and burdensome costs. Whether it’s California, Arizona, Nevada, or beyond – Contact us today to learn more, or to discuss problem properties in your area.