As Main Street merchants we are lucky to have the support of such an amazing town. “Mayberry by the sea” or not, we still need to be on our toes as merchants and citizens, as we are not immune to crime.
As the holiday season is upon us the merchants gathered at Harvey Girls Gallery the morning of Wed., Nov. 20, to seek out advice from our Chief of Police Joseph Stilinovich on the best ways to protect our customers, employees, and ourselves this holiday season.
Chief Joe is not about scare tactics, rather, he is upfront and honest about the latest trends in crime and how they affect us. The coolest thing about our Chief is he has a genuine care for this amazing town we call home.
While the main purpose of our meeting was to get a little insight on how to help protect ourselves in the event of shoplifting, confrontation, or otherwise “sticky” situations, we also started the process of re-establishing a phone tree amongst Main Street merchants to get word out QUICKLY if something does occur. This is something that is long overdue and I am happy to report that very soon all of Main St. will be connected and “in the know” in a matter of minutes, old-school-neighborhood-watch style.
We thought we would share some takeaways from our meeting with the whole community.
Did you know that while Huntington Beach & Long Beach have crime trending up we, in Seal Beach, are trending down? Our Seal Beach Police Officers would like to keep it that way. Here’s a few ways to help in the effort.
1. Remember that the holiday season unfortunately brings with it a rise in theft, specifically car break-ins. Chief Joe urged us as merchants to remind our customers that packages and shopping bags do not belong in the back seat of your car in clear view, but in the trunk and out of sight.
2. It seems to go without saying but unfortunately it is still a problem…Lock your Car, Lock your doors at home. No need to make it easy on the bad guys (and girls).
3. Be mindful of your neighbors. We as merchants are pulling together via a phone tree. What can you do on your block to stay in touch and keep your little part of our community safe?
4. Something most of us didn’t know…if you are in an emergency and near a land line you can call 911 and hang up. This call becomes a #1 priority and officers will be immediately dispatched to your address. It’s like a panic button.
5. When possible use your credit card rather than a debit card as there is more protection when it comes to fraudulent use. Chief Joe said this is especially true in cases (like in a restaurant) when your card leaves your sight. Just a quick swipe of your card and all the info held in that little magnetic strip is in the hands of somebody else. Your card no longer needs to be stolen to steal your funds.
It seems each year we talk about these things at length yet the same crimes are occurring each year. We’re a small town with a heck of a lot of charm, I personally put a challenge out to our neighbors to watch out for those folks who would tarnish our town’s safe and secure appeal. Consider the holiday season a great time to start, get in the spirit and make an effort to meet your neighbors … go crazy and exchange numbers and look out for each other. You may never need to call the Police for them, but like a lot of us merchants just did, you may make a new friend out of the deal. If there’s one thing our town is good at, it’s making friends.
Happy Holidays from your Main Street Merchants. See you around town.
Brooke Reid is a co-owner of Harvey Girls Gallery.
