Crime Prevention for Businesses

Print Feedback

Font Size: + -

Strategy

Business Watch programs deter, detect and diminish opportunities for crime by creating a network of active business's through open lines of communication and sharing of information.

Crime Problem Addressed

This strategy reduces many types of crimes, including shoplifting, theft, burglary, purse snatching, and vandalism against and around business. Just as citizen preparedness and surveillance in Neighborhood Watch programs have led to a reduction of crime in residential areas, this strategy can reduce crime against businesses as well as other crimes.

Key Components

Business Watch primarily establishes links among small businesses, and between them and the police. Basically, Business Watch is businesses (sometimes with community groups), taking systematic steps to reduce opportunities for crimes in and around business locations. It includes training business personnel to be eyes and ears for the police. In Business Watch areas, crime prevention police officers and business leaders assist business owners, operators, and employees in:

reporting crime: effectively observing and reporting to police on crimes and suspicious activities that could lead to crime;
operation identification: marking all equipment, machines, etc., with traceable identification numbers for deterrence and tracing;
robbery prevention: eliminating “easy prey” crime opportunities;
burglary prevention: adding security measures to impede criminals, detect criminal activity, and communicate with the police; and
self-protection: learning to recognize dangerous situations, and learning how to prevent, avoid, or flee them.

Key Partnerships

Key partnerships are those among the businesses and business people themselves and their organization and leaders. They, in turn, form a key partnership with the local police department, and especially with its crime prevention or watch liaison officers. Other partners can be the local citizens’ association, church, Chamber of Commerce, or other groups interested in a safe and prosperous business base in the community.

For more information regarding Business Watch Whittier contact the Whittier Area Chamber of Commerce at (562) 698-9554.

Free viewers are required for some of the attached documents.
They can be downloaded by clicking on the icons below.

Word Viewer