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Mountain View Police Department
1000 Villa Street
Mountain View, CA 94041
650/903-6344
Directions & Map
Hours
General Business:
8 a.m. - 5 p.m. (Mon.-Fri.)
Walk-in Crime Reports:
7 a.m. - 7 p.m. (7 days)
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MVPD is pleased to sponsor Business Watch, a cooperative crime prevention program for local businesses and police. The primary goal of Business Watch is to reduce crime that affects Mountain View's businesses.
The department offers crime-prevention training to Business Watch members, but that's just the beginning. Business Watch builds relationships with the police department and among the business community. Like Neighborhood Watch, these relationships:- Lead to a cooperative effort to prevent crime.
- Provide timely security information to the police (and other businesses).
- Catch criminals in the act.
- Support the safety and security of Mountain View businesses.
In addition, you can help educate patrol officers on the specific issues and concerns of your business, so we're better able to work proactively and keep watch over problem areas.
Past Meeting Topics- Anti-terrorism
- High-tech crimes
- Shoplifting prevention
- City crime trends
- Employee & customer safety
- Crime prevention through environmental design
- How to survive an armed robbery
Reasons to Join Business Watch- Get to know your business neighbors.
- Gain useful information about crime and prevention.
- Benefit from police and city resources you may not know about.
- Optimize your communications with the police department.
If you'd like to become a Business Watch member, or would like more information, please contact Jim Bennett: email, 650/903-6357.
| | Current Business Watches- Retail
- Convenience Stores
- Downtown
- High Tech
- Hotels & Motels
 Retail Security Tips
1. Staff Awareness
Be aware of people in the store. Acknowledge that they've been seen. "Hi, can I help you?"
2. Do not keep money in store after hours.
3. Conduct strict inventories, using more than one person.
4. Do not leave store unattended or go to back room, if no other employees on duty.
5. Place small, easy-to-steal items in highly visible places away from entries/exits.
Information?
Jim Bennett
650/903-6357
More Police Contacts |
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How much time do I need to commit to participate in Business Watch?
On average maybe 1-2 hours attending meetings or training each quarter. If that's more than you can spare, you can rotate attendance at your company.
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How often does Business Watch meet?
Business Watch meets several times each year, based on demand and MVPD schedule. Most meetings consist of sharing information and problem solving. Others are strictly educational, such as a short seminar on a relevant crime-prevention topic.
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In Business Watch, what's the point of very different businesses getting together? Our industrial plant doesn't have much in common with a retail liquor store.
Providing a networking experience for all businesses does in fact generate a unified front against crime. A service business owner would likely not choose to attend a shoplifting training, and a liquor store employee would probably skip a discussion about high-tech fraud detection. However, both may have an interest in neighborhood crime issues, disaster preparedness, and police department response.
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Is Business Watch divided into neighborhoods or types of businesses?
Generally, there is one business watch program for all types of businesses--retail, big firms, small firms and service companies. Business Watch is available for any commercial organization or non-profit that wishes to be a part of the program.
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What happens at Business Watch meetings?
Non-training meetings usually start with a few words from the police chief or Field Operations captain. A roundtable discussion follows, which may include any issue of interest. Finally, time is allotted for networking among participants. Meeting are usually held at the police department.
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Who should my company's Business Watch representative be?
This depends on the size and structure of your business. For large retail businesses or corporations, security representatives and emergency response coordinators are good choices. For smaller businesses, managers or employees are typical choices.
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