Code enforcement teams take to DeKalb neighborhoods

Teams of code enforcement officers went door to door as a first step to cleaning up several DeKalb County neighborhoods on Friday.

The goal is take care of some of the county's worst eyesores in areas that have had a high number of code compliance complaints.

Landowners have complained about piles of trash in empty lots and overgrown weeds.  

DeKalb code enforcement officers went door to door in a neighbor on the Lithonia city line in search of code violators.

"We've decided to start in this area, because of the concentration of the types of complaints, and the concentration of the issues on the ground," said Marcus Kellem of DeKalb County Code Enforcement.

Code enforcement officers notified people of violations on their property, they gave them a certain amount of time to fix the problem before they come back and fine them.

It's only a first step, but the county says the extraordinary measure was needed to make that first step happen.

"The officers are usually by themselves working in each community, but it becomes almost impossible to accomplish the goal. This way we have a concentrated effort, we have a group of officers together, and we can effectuate that change and as group in a one-shot deal," said Kellem.

Code enforcement officers plan on going back to that area in about a month to follow up. They will also target other areas in DeKalb with similar problems.