Turnout among Cordoba business owners for Metropolitan Police Department crime reduction events is low.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Friday night, Memphis Police focused on educating business owners on how to protect their property.
Many say this is an important initiative as more companies grapple with intrusions. According to the Memphis Public Safety Map, there have been more than 3,500 thefts and robberies so far in 2024.
Safety, security and surveillance are big themes addressed by Memphis Police Department Community Impact Officers at the Cordova Business Forum.
Forum City Councilor Rhonda Logan made sure to attend.
“This helps us drill down and really talk to business owners and show them how to engage and how to protect their assets,” Logan said.
Still, this information is only useful to businesses participating in the event. Voting among business owners was low Friday night. Councilor Logan remains hopeful that more companies will join in the future.
“If you work night shifts, have a job, run a business, or are an entrepreneur, you may not spend as much time on social media,” Logan says. “We're going to continue to do these things and continue to do everything we can as elected officials and community activists to remove them.”
Nevertheless, community impact officers brought the best safety tips to business owners who did show up. They're asking people to add cameras, alarms, dogs, bright lights, security guards and more to their businesses to ensure safety.
The department is also asking more companies to join Connect Memphis. The goal is to register or integrate as many home and business cameras into the Real-Time Crime Center as possible.
“If your burglar alarm goes off, your built-in camera will instantly pull out of your workplace and allow you to see exactly who is trying to break into your apartment, home or business,” said MPD Deputy Chief Joe Oakley. said.
Attendance was small, but MPD hopes that attendance will increase as nearby businesses see new safety measures on their premises.
