Strategy:
Business Watch programs deter and detect crimes and diminish opportunities for crime.

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 Trinidad Police Department. 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.
Business Watch programs often have a business leader act as the block security chief for the participating businesses. Detective Dion Ortiz is assigned to be the liaison with the Business Watch group. The local civic association or other community groups may also participate, lending extra eyes and ears, especially for periods when the businesses are closed. Sometimes the businesses are linked to each other and to the police through radio or fax machine message trees. Radio-equipped delivery and service vehicles may also become part of Business Watch.

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 Trinidad Police Department. 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.

Get Involved Today!
The cost of crime impacts your business' "Bottom Line". Your dollars would be better spent growing your business. Business Watch Impacts Your Business' Bottom Line. Contact Detective Dion Ortiz at the Trinidad Police Department or E-mail ortiz@trinidadcopd.org to become involved in Business Watch.