PROGRAM TARGETS BUSINESS CRIMES

The Cape Girardeau Police Department and Chamber of Commerce will launch a new effort this month to diminish the impact of crime on businesses.

The Business Protection Program kicks off Jan. 28 with a four-hour seminar conducted by police officers on what businesses can do to prevent crime losses. The meeting will be held at Drury Lodge.

The program will be a continuing effort to foster cooperation between the business community and law enforcement.

"It is essentially a Neighborhood Watch program for businesses," said Ginger Lemonds, chairperson of the chamber's Small Business Development Committee.

"We want criminals to know area businesses are aware and that there will be potential ramifications for shoplifting."

The scope of the program will include far more than shoplifting prevention to address a myriad of issues that include:

-- How to avoid taking bad checks.

-- Cutting down on credit card fraud.

-- Preventing burglaries and robberies.

-- Arranging a store to reduce problems.

-- Screening potential employees.

-- On-site security.

-- The arrest and prosecution process.

"What it will do is explain how to start a business protection program to reduce the losses businesses typically have," said Police Chief Rick Hetzel. "Crime doesn't just impact neighborhoods. It impacts the business community."

The new crime-awareness effort is actually a resurrection of a previous program launched in the 1980s called Business Watch.

Business Watch members were provided with a crime prevention manual and a quarterly newsletter updating them on criminal trends, said Cpl. Kevin Orr, who is spearheading the police department's role in the program.

Police informed members when an active group of shoplifters was operating in the city or if there were numerous reports of stolen checks being passed and other timely information.

The department also provided businesses with pictures of and information on persons convicted of crimes against businesses so store employees would know to be more careful if one of those individuals came into their shop.

Orr called the program successful.

"We made some really good arrests as a result," he said.

However, Business Watch faded away in the early 1990s.

"It worked, but then interest waned," said Lemonds. "Anytime you have a good program that works, you stop using it because you don't need it anymore."

Local businesses recently asked that a new program be started, Lemonds said.

Aspects of the old program will be used, including issuing stores a crime prevention manual, which will be updated annually.

The manual will include many common-sense tips, such as instructing employees to acknowledge and greet customers when they arrive. Hetzel said that lets people -- especially criminals -- know they have been noticed.

"The last thing a would-be thief wants is the feeling that people are watching him," Hetzel said.

Orr said store layout is also important. Racks shouldn't be arranged as to create blind spots, cash registers should be up front so employees can see people leaving, and windows should remain uncluttered to avoid obstructing the view.

"You should set up stores properly so it can aid you instead of creating problems," Orr said.