Nuisance Abatement Unit (NAU)

The Nuisance Abatement Unit (NAU) is a specialized unit within the City Attorney’s Office devoted to aggressively enforcing public nuisance, land use, and environmental laws in the City of San Diego. NAU works in partnership with City departments, Council Offices, community groups, and the police to proactively preserve and enhance the quality of life in our communities. The unit serves as a nationwide model to cities seeking to establish an aggressive nuisance abatement program. NAU is committed to protecting each of our diverse communities and our environment.

Preserving Neighborhoods

• Public Nuisances that negatively impact neighborhoods, such as problem properties with ongoing crime, such as drug activity, alcohol use, prostitution, graffiti, and transients.
• Housing violations like substandard dwellings and unsafe living conditions.
• Building Violations, including unsafe and dangerous structures, unpermitted construction, and perennial remodels.
• Zoning violations, such as unpermitted uses and illegal dwelling units.
• Abandoned and Vacant Structures that create a nuisance leading to an increase in criminal activity, deterioration, and instability in neighborhoods.  NAU’s work has resulted in the rehabilitation of many properties, thereby increasing housing stock and community pride.
• Fire Hazards
• Perennial Remodels
• Destruction of Historical and Archeological Resources

Environmental Protections

• Fish and Wildlife violations, including poaching and illegal hunting of fish and wildlife
• Destruction of Environmentally Sensitive Lands
• Illegal Grading
• Environmental contamination
• Lead Paint Hazards
• Illegal Dumping
• Damage to Public Infrastructure
• Illegal transportation, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste

Specialized Abatement Teams

• Drug Abatement Response Team (DART): NAU is a member of this team which identifies problem properties with ongoing narcotic activity and develops an appropriate long-term strategy to abate the drug and nuisance activity.
  • Reporting Narcotic Activity in Your Neighborhood
  • Petition for Removal from Gang Injunction
• Red Light Abatement Team (RLAT): As a member of this team, NAU works to identify properties with prostitution, lewd activity, and human trafficking and develops a strategy to permanently abate this illegal activity.
  • Human Trafficking (Poster)
• Hazardous Waste Taskforce: NAU partners with the San Diego Hazardous Waste Task Force to coordinate the investigation and enforcement of environmental crimes by identifying and reducing the risk associated with the production, handling and storage of hazardous materials and waste. Members of this task force include the FBI, United States Attorney, District Attorney, Air Pollution Control District, sewer agencies, US Environmental Protection Agency, California Highway Patrol, and the Fish and Wildlife Department.
• Unsafe Facilities Taskforce: As a partner of this taskforce, NAU works in partnership with law enforcement, Adult Protective Services, the Code Enforcement Division, and Community Care Licensing to address substandard housing violations at independent living facilities and ensure that victims are relocated to habitable housing.