Neighborhood Prosecution

Neighborhood Prosecution Team
Criminal Division
103 E. Alameda, Suite 501 
Civil Division
255 West Alameda, 7^th Floor

The Neighborhood Prosecution Team (NPT) works closely with registered neighborhood associations and other community groups to improve the quality of life in Tucson’s neighborhoods by identifying problems and developing strategies to solve them. The NPT combines traditional criminal prosecution with other, less traditional approaches such as code enforcement and civil nuisance abatement.  The unit focuses primarily on slum prosecution, code enforcement, prostitution, drug houses, property maintenance violations (weeds, refuse, illegal storage, junked vehicles), excessive noise, drug activity, high crime properties, graffiti abatement and other  “nuisance“ or “quality of life“ problems.

The NPT fields complaints directly from citizens, the Ward Offices, Neighborhood Associations, other City departments, and police officers. The NPT also prosecutes criminal cases and civil infractions. The members of NPT attend neighborhood association meetings and merchant’s association meetings; confer with the TPD legal advisor when necessary; and, join the briefings for prostitution sting operations. The NPT attorneys assigned to the Criminal Division of the City Attorney’s Office often consult with TPD detectives about issuing or declining to issue cases.  The NPT attorney at the Civil Division attends meetings of the Mayor and Council and helps coordinate SABER activities. The NPT attorneys often meet with personnel from other City departments to discuss strategies to solve problems.

While the NPT serves all the citizens of Tucson, since it began in July of 1999, the NPT has worked primarily in lower income neighborhoods.  The type of problem dictates where the NPT focuses the team’s resources - e.g. the location of the trashy lot, the drug house, the junked car, the prostitution activity, etc.