NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — The city of Newport News is using new artificial intelligence technology to enforce city codes and encourage residents to be good neighbors.
Harold Roach, the city's codes compliance director, showed News 3 the pickup truck that will be hitting the streets. The city is calling it the Good Neighbor Patrol Vehicle. Cameras are mounted on top of the truck, and AI software helps the department spot code violations that are in public view.
"This program originated from concerns raised by members of Newport News community," Roach said.
The initiative is based on a 2024 city survey in which neighbors expressed concerns about the condition of properties.
"We're concerned about the condition of structures, broken windows, peeling paint, leaking roofs, things of that nature, but it also catches things like inoperative vehicles, high grass, trash in yards, those types of things," Roach said.
The department is still finalizing how the program will work, and no citations have been issued so far. If the technology does find a violation, the property owner will be notified and given time to correct the issue. In the worst-case scenario, a summons could be issued requiring the owner to go to court.
"The camera system is just a means of maximizing coverage throughout the city," Roach said.
The truck will be out five days a week and can cover the entire city in about six to eight weeks.
As the city has worked to spread awareness of the truck on social media, some residents have responded by comparing it to homeowners association enforcement. However, Roach said the program is about improving people's quality of life.
"I don't have enough people to drive every street in the city of Newport News," he said. "Using this technology, I'll be able to survey that landscape, understand what's out there and then prioritize my staff's work," Roach said.
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