Attention all Chelsea business owners, you are invited to a meeting at Chelsea Lanes on Friday, July 18 at 8 a.m. for an informational Business-to-Business Watch organizational meeting.
It will be one hour of your time well spent.
“We’re trying to be proactive,” said Eddy Greenleaf, owner of Chelsea Lanes. “To develop a program for all areas of Chelsea business.”
With that in mind, a group of business owners have been meeting to organize this new business watch program, which works similarly to a neighborhood watch program.
And, although this program is endorsed by the Chelsea Area Chamber of Commerce, a business does not have to be a member to attend or take advance of this new program.
Greenleaf said a small group of business owners began talking about this program about six months ago.
“Now we’re at the point of getting people fired up about it,” he said.
Chelsea Police Chief Ed Toth said, “The reality is, the more people looking out for each other, the better.”
He said, if a business owner notices something out of the ordinary, “Call us. Let us know. We’ll check it out. It’s not being nosey; it’s knowing what your neighbors are doing.”
“We want to have open communications with all businesses,” he said, adding that the police department has a number of resources that can be used by business owners for free.
He mentioned Crime Prevention Though Environmental Design (CPTED). A trained officer will go to a business and make a safety assessment, offering tips to make both the exterior and interior area as safe as possible.
Toth mentioned obstructions such as foliage that might be blocking views of who and what is going on outside a business or tall grass or bushes that could provide a hiding place for a criminal. Or dim lighting that might make a business attractive to a burglar.
“There’s a misconception that there’s no crime in Chelsea,” Greenleaf said.
“If you see something; say something. Call 9-1-1. We’ll check it out,” Toth said.
Rick Eder, another business owner, said he heard a story about a business owner in another town who thought the next-door neighbor was going through some remodeling because he heard drilling. It turned out to be a burglar drilling through the wall.
“If you see something out of the ordinary, check it out. Don’t assume anything,” he said.
And, this is what these business owners are trying to do. Make their fellow business owners more aware of what’s going on around them.
The Business Watch program is one of several programs offered through the Chelsea Area Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Chelsea Police Department.
Among some of the membership benefits are:
- Registration of your business with the Police Department so you can be contacted immediately if there is a problem at your business after regular business hours.
- Help in dealing with panhandlers and other loiterers who scare off customers.
- Security inspections of your business by Police Department experts.
- Guest speakers for business association meetings.
- Invitations to Business Watch seminars on such topics as Robbery, Forgery/Fraud and Identify Theft
- E-mail notifications of crime trends affecting your business
- In addition, here are some of the benefits of joining the new business watch program.
- Safety/Security review of your business property (CPTED)
- Information on video surveillance equipment
- Community Business Safety Seminars
- Coordinated assistance with other City departments as needed
- Better communication and interaction with the Chelsea Police Department (CPD)
- Business Watch advisories on crime trends in your area
- CPD escorts to banks when available/walk throughs
- Assist with background checks (as long as proper documents are signed) by CPD
- Property / Business Checks by CPD
- NIXEL Broadcasts by CPD
- Presentations regarding Crime Prevention by CPD
- Coordinated “Phone Tree” for communication to neighboring businesses
