After March’s business mixer, several Division Midway business owners expressed interest in forming a Business Watch in the district. Mark Wells, Crime Prevention Specialist with the Office of Neighborhood Involvement, conducted two outreach meetings with business and property owners to ascertain their issues and concerns.
The Business Watch is currently located in the commercial node along Division Street between 143rd & 148th Avenues. Thank you to the following business owners for stepping up and working together to organize the Division Midway business watch: Duke’s Country Bar & Grill, Key Bank, Kelli’s Bar & Café and Global Communications.
The concept behind a business watch is similar to a neighborhood watch. Like-minded businesspeople get to know one another and help each other with crime related issues in their area. Business owners will receive training to learn the ins and outs of reporting crime. They also will receive a contact list and be a part of an email group used to share issues and warnings. This can work in many ways. Business owners can share pictures of people who have been arrested in their businesses as well as warn other business owners of break-ins, counterfeit money laundering attempts, etc. Signs like the one below will soon be visible in the Business Watch area.
If you are a business owner interested in joining the Division Midway Business Watch, call Lori Boisen at 503-841-5021.
