MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Memphis Police Department (MPD) is trying new tactics to hear community perspectives on how to slow crime and respond to incidents better. The department had a community forum for business owners in Hickory Hill Thursday night.
MPD heavily focused on educating business owners about ways to protect their property. It’s an important effort as more businesses deal with break-ins and robberies.
The owners of Broadway Pizza on Broad Avenue continuously deal with break-ins. Dewana Ishee said many times thieves are done breaking in by the time MPD arrives on the scene.
“In and out of here in a minute and 30 seconds,” Ishee said. “There have been times when the police are so busy with everything going on that it takes a very long time. It’s frustrating."
So, MPD hosted a community awareness forum to build a common understanding of how to keep businesses safe and when to contact MPD.
It’s a departmental effort for all business owners, but this event got a lot of support from small businesses and those who say they’ve been overlooked in the past, like Nena Garza, a Hispanic business owner.
MPD is working to bridge the gap between the department and the Hispanic community. They are aiming to get partnership information to Hispanics in both English and Spanish so they can know their options regarding contacting MPD and integrating their cameras with the Real Time Crime Center.
“We do have cameras on the outside [of our business], and our outside cameras are connected with the police,” Garza said.
“[Community Information Officers are] actually going around and really talking to our businesses about how they can do better and how we can help support them,” MPD Chief CJ Davis said.
MPD also touched on how to upgrade your business with bullet-resistant glass, an alarm system and security patrolmen.
Owners left with information on how to connect their business cameras to the Real Time Crime Center and how to better secure their property to help prevent crime.