"The initiative started because property owners at some of the larger retail businesses on Central Avenue were looking for opportunities to get ahead of shoplifting, crime, vagrancy and other issues," says Anthony Capece, Executive Director for the Central Avenue Business Improvement District. "We all worked together to set up a regular meeting, and we've really been able to accomplish a great deal through these meetings."
Previous meetings yielded great results on issues like trespassing and loitering, he says. This week's meeting opened up some new discussions about how to enforce parking restrictions and resolve vehicular traffic violations on plaza property.
At the meeting, storeowners and loss prevention staff also talked about new trends they're seeing in shoplifting, including the most frequently stolen items. (Health and beauty products, as it turns out.)
Officers from the Albany Police Department provided tenants and property owners with information about how to deter criminal behavior, including evaluations of the property at the owner's request. These evaluations are conducted by officers who have been certified in CPTED (Criminal Prevention Through Environmental Design). They will walk through the property, assessing the business in terms of access, surveillance, and other criteria and then produce a detailed analysis, including recommendations.
Representatives from the DA's office were available to answer questions about how petit larceny is prosecuted, and also talked about the challenges inherent in enforcing laws on private property.
They also talked about registering security cameras with the police department so that information can be shared more readily.
"
