Involving Local Businesses

Just as a few people and a few places seem to require a lot of police attention, a few businesses make disproportionate demands on police resources. Nearly every community has at least one such place—the bar that always seems to have fights on weekend nights; the store whose clerks call several times a week to report thefts or shoplifting; the shopping mall that frequently needs help dealing with groups of unruly youth; the motel that often rents to drug dealers, prostitutes, and the like. Possibly the greatest cause [Page 225]of high crime and disorder levels at these businesses is poor management, such as routine overservice in bars, low staffing levels in retail establishments, and loose rental practices in motels. This entry discusses how community policing ...