The Path Forward
Solutions Must Focus on Prevention and Deterrence
Arresting our way out of our commercial property crime epidemic is unworkable – even if there were more police officers on the streets ready to respond.
Our police officers are increasingly called on to address a broader array of social problems – including growing behavioral health needs – that take priority over property.
More arrests would not reverse the many impacts of property crimes – including the nearly $16 billion in costs each year nationwide, or approximately $200,000 per incident.
Solutions that focus on deterrence reduce crime by preventing it in the first place – and increase the public’s shared sense of safety.
Deterrence also reduces costs – to businesses, to taxpayers, and to local law enforcement – while freeing up police resources to address other areas of need.
Public-Private Partnership For A Shared Responsibility
With higher priorities and limited resources, local government and local law enforcement alone cannot meet the responsibility to reduce commercial property crime in Washington.
But by working together with a shared responsibility toward the common goal of deterrence, business owners, local government, law enforcement, and lawmakers can.
A recent summit highlighted opportunities for collaboration between the public and private sectors in combating the scourge of organized retail crime.
Similar opportunities exist to combat the broader issue of commercial property crime, including reducing bureaucratic barriers to adopting on-site security measures.
The California Legislature recently took this approach, unanimously passing into law a bill to streamline permitting for businesses to install crime prevention security technologies.