 Now Available Through
Spokane C.O.P.S.
Crime
Prevention
Practitioners worldwide
are realizing more and more how important neighborhood associations are for
healthy commercial districts.
While many
crimes have to be dealt with on an individual basis by each business, there
are many problems that single businesses alone
cannot overcome, like graffiti and other forms of vandalism.
These kinds of
crimes are really attacks on a whole neighborhood, and affect everyone.
Still other crimes, like robbery and
shoplifting, can be better dealt with by a group of alert and concerned
businesses together, sharing information, knowing
how to contact each other and reporting suspicious
behavior to the police.
For this reason,
C.O.P.S. supports the
formation and ongoing activity of local chambers of commerce
and merchant's associations.
Together, you are best able to solve
problems common to your own areas and unique locales. These
problems go far beyond crime related issues, like area promotions, traffic
or zoning concerns, joint communities. Paying attention
to your own business and working with your neighboring businesses to solve
common problems is the best way to insure a healthier and more prosperous
future for everyone.
A BUSINESS WATCH SUCCESS STORY...IT REALLY WORKS!
The East Spokane Business Association (ESBA) members
take care of one another.
One of the programs they instituted is a Business
Watch. This is like a Block Watch, but is
entirely made up of BUSINESSES!
One spring
day, the Business Watch (BW) was put into action, before they had
even received their neighborhood signs and
window clings.
"A neighboring
business visited a brand new tenant across Sprague
Avenue.
The new business had noticed a
lot of traffic in the alley and some questionable actions
around an adjacent house. She
wanted to notify the police, but
wasn't sure how to go about it. She told her new neighbors, who
made a few calls and asked other members of the business
association to keep an eye on the house in question. Within two days, the property in
question was assigned a detective through the Spokane Police
Department Drug Unit, and all of the neighboring businesses knew
they were keeping a sharp eye out.
Two of the
longtime businesses also put in personal calls to the landlord
of the property letting him know what was going on.
Although they haven’t perfected
their neighborhood warning system, the members of
Business Watch
know that they are starting a trend by
taking back their neighborhood so their customers and employees
feel safer, and more businesses will want to move into the
neighborhood."
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