Right Now Downtown

THE GOOD GUYS DO WIN

You really can get something for nothing, a whole lot of something as a matter of fact. If you show up at 20 E. Broad Street this Friday, September 9 between the hours of 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., you will see what we’re talking about. But wait, isn’t that a vacant building? Maybe, but if you stop by, you can get a complimentary lunch and learn some cool things to prevent crime, maybe even stop it in its tracks.

Capital Crossroads SID and Columbus Division of Police are teaming up for a state-of-the-art crime prevention reception. You will learn tons of stuff, but best yet, we want you to bring your loot like GPS units, laptops, iPods and bikes to register the valuables with Report it, a nifty inventory tracking system. While you’re there, you will learn cool tips about how to prevent crime.

“Citywide there are about 13,000 car break-ins every year,” said Lisa Defendiefer, Capital Crossroads Safety Coordinator. “It’s the most common crime that occurs and often can be prevented.”

It’s the good guys v. bad guys, and we’re going to give you the information aka. ammunition you need to help keep you from becoming a victim. Downtown Columbus is a safe place to hang, but it’s always good to be prepared, and just to show you how good we really are, we are throwing in a complimentary lunch from Café Napolitana. We’re also raffling off a CAPA gift certificate. Heck, we’ve upped the ante to lunch and a show. What more can you ask?

If you have any questions, just give Lisa Defendiefer a call at 645-5064 or go to downtowncolumbus.com.

At the Capital Crossroads Annual Meeting in November, Executive Director Cleve Ricksecker reported on one of the core missions of Capital Crossroads SID: safety.  CCSID continues to partner with the Columbus Division of Police to promote safety downtown.  The ongoing efforts of CCSID’s safety ambassadors include patrolling the district, observing their surroundings, notifying the police of any criminal activity, and reporting even minor offenses and disorder to the SID special duty police officers. Additionally, the reassuring presence of the ambassadors, combined with keeping the environment clean, help promote safety in the downtown core. 

This hard work has resulted in good news for downtown in 2009.  While comparing crime rates across precincts is not an exact science, using conservative estimates, the downtown Columbus precinct is now among the three safest in the city.  After experiencing a 37% decrease in crime from 2002 to 2008, there was a slight increase in 2009.  This was due primarily to an increase in car break-ins, a phenomenon which was true citywide.  Downtown’s increase in this type of crime was lower than the citywide average. 

“We remain grateful to the Columbus Division of Police for their excellent work,” said Ricksecker.  “They understand that law enforcement requires a variety of approaches and resources, and agree with the old English saying that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” 

Bike patrol officers are proactive in eliminating problems and preventing crimes, and the special duty officers hired by the SID supplements those efforts.  In addition, the SID’s Outreach Specialist, Alyson Poirier, helps the homeless and those with mental health or addiction issues by linking them with social services, which keeps them off the streets and from possibly contributing to safety issues. 

Finally, the SID uses its communications vehicles to remind residents, employees and visitors not to give to panhandlers and to be aware of the risk of leaving valuables in plain sight in a car.  

All these efforts combined contribute to a safer downtown.