Partnership eyes town crime rate

Some downtown business owners said Monday that in order for their businesses to thrive, both their customer base and their employees need to feel safe.

And local officials are looking at ways to make that request a reality.

At a meeting of the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership, the group approved endorsement of a draft proposal to address crime in the downtown sector.

"If you want to get serious about revitalizing downtown, you cannot have safety issues, period," said Liz Parham, the group's executive director.

The plan will involve several measures, including security training for owners and employees and more foot and bike patrols by police.

The group also agreed to look into hiring a consultant to conduct a lighting study that emphasizes safety, which Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy, a partnership member, said might be possible through the town's streetscape funds.

With these measures, officials hope to curb the number of crimes occurring downtown.

In the central business district, 304 crimes were reported during fiscal year 2005-06 - 12 percent of crimes reported townwide.

Of 91 disturbance calls made to the police, more than half were for disturbing the peace. Seventeen were made because of fighting.

"We are aware of the numbers, but more important what the impact is," Chapel Hill Police Chief Gregg Jarvies told the group, noting that crimes consistently are perpetrated by the same individuals.

Patrick Thompson, owner of Aveda Institute Chapel Hill, said that the director of his business had been assaulted and that both his employees and customers have reported problems with harassment.

He said his business would cease to exist if his clients and employees were not protected.

"I want to continue to (expand)," he said. "But at this point, I'm very hesitant to do that."

Thompson and others called for more police presence downtown.

But from the police perspective, the problem is more complex.

"There are some things that are illegal," Jarvies said. "There are some things that are just uninviting."

The department also has had a number of vacancies.

Jarvies said those positions have been filled thanks to help from the town, but the rookie officers will be in training until spring.

"We'll do whatever we can," Jarvies said. "It's not an empty promise. I don't make empty promises, but I also don't make promises I can't keep."

The partnership plans to hold a meeting with interested business owners to look at means of executing the plan. The group's next meeting is slated for Oct. 24.

 

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