Lawton City Manager John Ratliff announced a comprehensive initiative focusing on making neighborhoods cleaner and safer for children.
“A clean neighborhood reduces hazards, prevents the spread of illnesses, and promotes a sense of community pride and responsibility,” he said of the “Kids First: Neighborhood Cleanup and Beautification Plan.”
The objective, he said, is “to create safer neighborhoods for Lawton’s children to learn, grow, and play.” Clean environments reduce hazards and improve overall community well-being. “When neighborhoods are clean, well-maintained, and safe, they become nurturing spaces for children to learn, grow, and play,” said Ratliff, a father of three children.
The City of Lawton “must prioritize children first,” Mayor Stan Booker said in January. “We must focus our efforts to ensure that children grow and thrive in clean, safe neighborhoods.”
The Kids First initiative points out that unclean environments create a breeding ground for pests, bacteria, viruses, and other harmful pathogens, posing a significant threat to children’s health because of their developing immune systems.
Common pests in unclean environments include rodents such as rats and mice), mosquitoes that breed in stagnant water, flies that feed on garbage and spread diseases, cockroaches that thrive in filthy areas, triggering asthma and spreading bacteria such as E. coli.
Unclean environments expose children to allergens, leading to allergies, asthma, and chronic respiratory issues. Poor air quality and airborne pathogens raise the risk of diseases such as influenza and tuberculosis.
Unclean environments also can negatively affect a child’s mental, emotional, and physical well-being, research has shown. Growing up in dirty and unsafe surroundings can create feelings of stress, fear, and insecurity, hindering a child’s emotional development and overall sense of safety, while also exposing them to health hazards and physical dangers that threaten their safety and development.
A cluttered environment can affect a child’s cognitive development, by hindering their concentration and academic performance.
Prolonged exposure to stressful, unclean conditions can negatively affect a child’s brain development related to memory, learning, and emotional regulation.
Children living in environments with visible hazards such as broken glass, litter, pest infestations, or crime may feel unsafe, leading to heightened stress and anxiety. Play is essential for a child’s emotional development, but unclean or hazardous areas can limit opportunities for safe, free play, hindering their ability to explore and develop confidence.
Additionally, physical safety hazards such as broken glass and sharp debris cause cuts and lacerations. Exposure to used needles and medical waste can cause bloodborne diseases. Rusty metal and nails pose the risk of tetanus if injuries occur.
4 principal goals, 8 action steps “A clean and safe neighborhood is the foundation for a thriving community, especially for our children,” Ratliff said. The Kids First initiative is focused on achieving four key goals:
• Remove hazardous waste and litter from public areas.
• Ensure playgrounds and parks are safe and clean for children.
• Foster a community culture of cleanliness and safety.
• Educate the community on maintaining cleanliness and safety.
The four principal goals “will be accomplished by these action steps,” the city manager said: Step 1: Organize community clean-up events.
Step 2: Throttle up the Dangerous & Dilapidated Structures Program funded by PROPEL 2040. By April 1 “we’ll have 40 D&Ds submitted to the City Council each month,” Ratliff noted.
Step 3: Verify that community development block grant funding supports the restructuring plan without restricting Neighborhood Services staffing.
Step 4: Set up regular maintenance schedules for cleaned areas and establish a redevelopment authority.
Step 5: Reassign the Community Services Department to the Parks and Recreation Department led by Larry Parks, a retired U.S. Army senior noncommissioned officer.
Step 6: Reorganize Neighborhood Services assignments to align with the eight council wards.
Step 7: Direct Code Enforcement Officers to consult with their assigned City Council person “so the CEOs will understand the priorities of that ward,” Ratliff explained. CEOs also will begin attending Neighborhood Watch meetings to strengthen community engagement.
Step 8: Launch a public awareness campaign to educate residents on the importance of cleanliness and their role in maintaining it. Clean-up efforts Community clean-up efforts will include multiple “Trash-Off” events, seasonal clean-ups, spring and fall events for yard waste and debris removal, citizen-organized clean-up events in neighborhoods, and an annual cleanliness award presented to one neighborhood selected by the Lawton Enhancement Trust Authority.
This year’s “Trash Off” annual spring cleanup is scheduled for April 5, and “Stream Clean Saturdays” are conducted on the last Saturday of every month. During the “Community Cleanout” to be held this fall, Lawtonians can dispose of household hazardous waste, bulk items, and medical supplies, while also donating coats, hygiene items, baby supplies, and more to support needy residents.
D&D properties Abandoned or deteriorating buildings pose serious risks, including structural collapse, fire hazards, exposure to toxic materials, and increased criminal activity. Owners of these D&D properties will be given a detailed list of required repairs and code compliance issues, and will be afforded 30 days’ notice before their property is presented to the City Council for possible condemnation.
The city’s Community Services Department will be renamed the Safe and Clean Neighborhood Services Division, and 18 Code Enforcement Officers will be spread among each of the city’s eight City Council wards, Ratliff said. Additional CEOs will be assigned to wards with higher numbers of D&D properties, he said.
Code Enforcement Officers will be instructed to focus on abatement over citations, Ratliff said. “We will encourage compliance. Issuing citations will be a last resort,” he said.
“We will impose fines only when a property owner repeatedly refuses assistance or fails to take action despite multiple outreach efforts,” Ratliff said. A proactive and “solution-oriented approach” to address non-compliance “fosters cooperation rather than conflict,” he said.
To prevent unnecessary demolitions and encourage restoration, property owners will have multiple opportunities to rehabilitate their properties.
Mayor Booker and Councilman Allan Hampton both said they were notified by individuals who said they bought D&D properties intending to renovate them, but when they arrived at the sites the structures were gone, having already been demolished.
All Code Enforcement Officers and supervisors will be required to complete a three-day training course provided by the Oklahoma Municipal League, to gain in-depth knowledge of municipal regulations, enforcement strategies, and legal compliance. Officers will undergo customer service training through the Vector Program to enhance communication, conflict resolution, and community engagement skills. All staff will be required to thoroughly understand city policies and enforcement procedures, ensuring consistency and compliance in all operations.
Lawton police to create SVU As reported in Southwest Ledger on Feb. 11, a Special Victims Unit (SVU) will be established within the Lawton Police Department. The unit will consist of four dedicated officers and a supervisor, working in teams around the clock, Ratliff said. The officers will “prioritize outreach, ensuring victims receive proper support and resources,” he said.
Also, the Lawton police will increase their involvement in Neighborhood Watch programs. Officers will attend meetings regularly to provide crime updates, answer community concerns, and share safety strategies, the city manager said.
In addition, weekly coordination meetings will be held between law enforcement and the Safe and Clean Neighborhood Services Division, Ratliff said, “to ensure seamless cooperation.” The meetings will address ongoing community safety concerns, such as blight, vandalism, and crime prevention. Crime and nuisance reports will be employed to identify problem areas and develop targeted solutions.