Problem property (original) (raw)
Problem property is terminology used by city governments seeking to apply pressure to the owners and managers of buildings where crime has occurred. "Problem property" is also used to describe any land or building that has negative issues associated with it, such as difficulty to sell, uncertain ownership, flooding, etc. Critics claim that it is in the political interest of local-government officials and police to shift the blame for crime from the criminals and the responsibility for fighting crime themselves to nearby property owners. This is a common strategy in community policing.