Friday, January 19, 2007

Theater District Kicks Off Security Effort

Business managers, property owners and residents from the north end of the BIA met Wednesday afternoon and kicked off a broad-based initiative to strengthen their response to unwanted street activity.

The meeting began with a cataloging of some of the measures already in place to combat public disorder, including:
  • Targeted late-night patrols by BIA and Tacoma police (TPD) addressing tagging and other concerns;

  • Aggressive new management at the Winthrop Hotel working with neighbors to identify and evict problem tenants;

  • Recent success in apprehending the downtown bank robber, preventing car prowls and nabbing taggers.

Attendees agreed to take part in an e-mail alert system and discussed feasibiity of setting up a phone tree for similar purposes. Sign-up by the BIA's intern collected contact information for both lists. North end business manager, property owners and residents who did not attend this meeting but who would like to be included in these lists should contact Paul Ellis.

The BIA will be working with Tacoma police to design new patrol patterns deploying district and TPD personnel in new patterns to address concerns of meeting attendees. A group organized by the BIA will also be investigating use of surveillance cameras on downtown streets in the near future.

- Read coverage of the meeting in the Tacoma Daily Index

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