QUESTION
What assistance is available to small businesses facing issues with retail theft?
0:55:01
·
147 sec
The Department of Small Business Services (SBS) collaborates with local police precincts to help businesses assess security needs and implement measures like cameras.
- The NYPD's crime prevention team has protocols to work closely with commercial districts for direct contact with precincts
- The Queens District Attorney's office has programs targeting repeat offenders and retail theft hotspots
- A mayoral retail theft task force aims to tackle the issue across government agencies
- The Bronx District Attorney's office could potentially partner on similar initiatives
Oswald Feliz
0:55:01
And speaking about that general safety issue, you mentioned Walgreens.
0:55:05
There's actually a Walgreens one minute away from where I live.
Vickie Paladino
0:55:08
Yeah.
Oswald Feliz
0:55:08
There's actually closing down due to the issue of retail theft.
0:55:11
And, you know, the other day, I visited the CBS around the other ten section of the Bronx.
0:55:15
Not only do they have the items locked locked up, but also once they freed the items, they would bring it to the cashier due to the issue of retail theft.
0:55:25
So, you know, always tell myself, I hope this is something that doesn't become the norm.
0:55:31
And anytime I speak to small business, that is literally the the very first issue that it brings to us.
0:55:36
So something that I think all of us are giving attention, but I think it needs a little bit more attention than what what we're giving doing it.
0:55:44
So on that issue, is there any type of help that we could potentially get to the small businesses?
0:55:49
On that issue, I know you mentioned the lighting program, any help that we could give directly to the businesses, potentially, for example, grants so they could cover security related expenses.
0:56:00
For, you know, for whatever security cameras, plexiglass Yes.
0:56:04
To say those.
Tian Weinberg
0:56:05
Sorry.
0:56:06
Absolutely council member.
0:56:08
So our press chair has been to really engage with the local precinct.
0:56:12
They're able to give walk throughs for all of these businesses to help them assess their security needs, understand where they should be putting cameras, what other sorts of safety measures they should be taking.
0:56:26
The crime prevention team at the NYPD has also developed a protocol to work really closely with commercial district leaders to ensure that, you know, there's a direct line of contact to the local precinct to make sure that folks understand how the NYPD works, understand how to reach out to them.
0:56:45
And that's really been our focus is in developing those neighborhood relationships with local precincts, I do also wanna highlight, and I should have mentioned this council member Paladino, that the Queen's DA has Okay.
0:57:00
Yes.
0:57:00
The Queen's DA has a program which we find encouraging.
0:57:04
Again, looking at Pete offenders looking at hotspots.
0:57:08
And through the retail theft task force convened by the mayor, he's convened all of the DAs on this issue.
0:57:15
Because it's certainly across government needed approach.
0:57:19
And the DAs have a a big hand in it as well, and they are trying to work creatively.
0:57:23
Accounts member, maybe we could, you know, work with the Bronx DA together on this.
Oswald Feliz
0:57:28
Yep.
0:57:28
Absolutely.
