Earlier this year, West Valley City created a new Community Preservation Department to give a more concentrated effort to cleaning the city and improving its image. Five new code enforcement officers were sworn on June 10 to increase the department's hours of operation from four days a week to Monday—Saturday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Morris says the department also may work Sundays if it's necessary.

The city commissioned the survey to get a benchmark to see if the city has improved in a year. Another survey will be commissioned in May to see if the city has made any improvements.

Cracking down on houses that are chronic violators gives Murray — a retired police officer who's been with the preservation department for a year — some satisfaction. He recites the department's goals to preserve the welfare and comfort of West Valley residents like a mantra as he trains Robinson, one of the department's five new officers, and approaches another door with a rolled-up violation courtesy notice.

Helping preserve residents' property values is a motivator, but breaking West Valley's bad reputation is another reason Murray likes his job.

"You have the same problems in any city," says Murray, who points out that code enforcement officers have had their lives threatened for trying to enforce the city's codes. "West Valley City is committed and dedicated to making West Valley lose that reputation that there are all crooks and robbers and drug lords that live in West Valley City. We're tired of that."

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