THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, July 27, 1995 TAG: 9507250093
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS
TYPE: Editorial
SOURCE: MIKE KNEPLER
LENGTH: Medium: 73 lines
Businessmen along parts of Church Street and Brambleton Avenue can expect a visit from a police officer in the next few days.
Tony Mitchell, a crime-prevention officer, is trying to start a ``Business Watch'' for merchants.
Make that with the help of the business owners.
``This will be two-sided,'' Mitchell said. ``It shouldn't be just me addressing the issues but all of us together.''
Business Watch is the commercial version of neighborhood block-watch programs. Participants learn to head off trouble before it starts and make accurate reports to police when crime does occur.
Mitchell can provide anti-crime training and monthly reports on crime trends in the Church Street and Brambleton Avenue corridors. But he needs a group of business people willing to help each other and the police.
Only a handful of business folks showed up for a meeting to introduce the Business Watch program last week. But Mitchell said he wasn't too disappointed, noting that merchants probably needed more time to arrange their schedules.
Still, to make sure they hear about the next meeting, Aug. 22, Mitchell will deliver the fliers.
He'll have some help.
Bob McCleskey, owner of the Church Street Amoco at the Church Street Crossing shopping center, said he'll make some phone calls.
``We've got a nice facility over there, and we want to keep it that way,'' he said.
Ulysses Turner, School Board chairman and an owner of Church Square shopping center, said he'll visit some merchants with Mitchell.
``I'm glad we're doing this,'' Turner said. ``It's going to create a closer bond among businesses. It also will improve business traffic.''
Turner said a Business Watch program will mean more shoppers and merchants.
``I have people saying, `Mr. Turner, you're a nice fellow. You have a beautiful shopping center. But I don't feel comfortable.' This will make the shopping center appear to be safer and perhaps invite new businesses to the community,'' he said.
The first step toward success is getting participation.
There's a good model in nearby Ghent, where Barbara Zoby of Yukon Lumber started an anti-crime effort with only four other businesses in 1992.
Now, about 40 merchants attend monthly meetings, which are combined with meetings of the Ghent Business Association.
``It's helpful because it focuses everyone together and brings together merchants who never met before,'' Zoby said. ``It's just like a community gathering.''
Ghent merchants have a program they call ``The Wire,'' which disseminates descriptions of crime suspects. If one business has a problem, the information is called in to police, who relay it to other businesses via a tape recording and computerized telephone dialing system.
Mitchell wants a similar system for businesses in the Church Street-Brambleton Avenue corridor.
Downtown businesses also have anti-crime programs.
Dianne Elliott, program manager for the Downtown Norfolk Council, hopes to borrow some ideas for Church Street-Brambleton Avenue. She's working with Mitchell.
The Business Watch program will be sponsored by the Downtown Norfolk Council's Church Street-Brambleton Avenue Area Clean and Safe Committee. MEMO: Plans will be discussed Aug. 22 at 8:30 a.m. in the Comfort Inn-Town
Point, Tidewater Drive and Virginia Beach Boulevard. Call Dianne Elliott
at 623-1757 or Tony Mitchell, 664-6934, or pager 475-6684. by CNB