Tools to help keep Springfield businesses safe

The law enforcement officers of the Springfield Police Department work hard every day to apprehend individuals who commit crime in our community and to find ways to prevent crime from happening.

But there are also numerous ways that businesses in our community can assist the police in those crime prevention efforts. The Chamber, in conjunction with SPD, has developed the Let’s Keep Springfield Safe Business Toolkit, gathering a litany of individual tools offered by the police department that businesses can use to stay informed about activity in their own neighborhoods and help keep them safe.

Here is a look at just some of the tools available:

• Community Crime Map – This national public crime map, provided by LexisNexis, allows you to see real-time data about crimes in your location. The tool is free to the public, letting you view and filter crime data in any area you choose. You can also sign up to receive regular crime reports via email.
• Camera Location Registration – By registering your organization’s security cameras, your business can help support the investigation and prosecution of a crime at or near your location. This does not allow officers to monitor your camera footage; it only lets SPD know there are cameras in the area where a crime has occurred.
• Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) – CPTED is a crime prevention philosophy that applies physical design, citizen participation, and law enforcement strategies in a comprehensive way to protect neighborhoods or facilities. SPD’s Crime Prevention Unit can provide free CPTED Security Surveys.
• Connect with Neighborhood PAR Officers – PAR officers are a direct contact for citizens and businesses when dealing with neighborhood concerns and complaints. PAR officers are assigned to a specific geographic area and work varying schedules, letting them focus their attention on neighborhood concerns and complaints.

You can also find information about annual crime data reported to the FBI, as well as additional updates from the police department on public safety efforts.

We encourage you to visit the Let’s Keep Springfield Safe Business Toolkit today and learn more about what you can do to help Springfield police keep our community safe!