Foreclosure’s impacts reach beyond dispossessed homeowners

Editor’s note: This article is from the Feb. 22 edition of the Collier Citizen, a weekly affiliate of the Daily News with editions serving North Naples, Golden Gate and the Estates and East Naples; the Citizen is online at colliercitizen.com. Collier County foreclosures skyrocketed from 90 in 2006 to 690 in 2007. The trend is continuing in 2008, as January alone saw 104 foreclosure sales. While devastating for homeowners and investors, foreclosure also affects the innocent victims left behind.

“It’s a no-brainer,” says Golden Gate Sheriff’s Office Substation Commander Lt. Rich Hampton, “A property that’s been foreclosed upon, or any empty, vacant property, is attractive to criminals, juveniles, drug activity, littering, vandalism — the activity increases.” It’s a problem that Golden Gate Community Oriented Policing Deputy Cpl. Rob Capizzi is all too familiar with.

He calls it the “broken window theory” — starting with a crack in a window pane, and leading to neighborhood blight. Shattered glass from the rear sliding door and windows of a duplex in Golden Gate is an example of the health and safety issues created by unsecured homes in the process of foreclosure. “Crime and disorder are linked. You see disorder and it becomes a problem. It could be a fence down or a back door kicked in,” Capizzi says.

“Vandalism starts the process that shows people who are doing bad things that no one is taking care of the neighborhood. If you see something in your neighborhood that doesn’t look right, call us and we’ll check it out.” According to Capizzi, the rate of foreclosure-related crime is increasing, but not yet alarming. He said many incidents go undetected because no one complains. “We have to keep a handle on it,” he says.