https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcast
  • Resources & Events
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • Municipal Cost Index – Archive
    • Equipment Watch Page
    • American City & County Awards
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
American City and County
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcasts
  • Resources/Events
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers/eBooks
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • American City & County Awards
    • Municipal Cost Index
    • Equipment Watch Page
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Stament
    • Terms of Service
  • newsletter
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
  • Magazine
acc.com


Businesses help extend law enforcement’s reach

Businesses help extend law enforcement’s reach

The sight of police officers having coffee in a doughnut shop may elicit wisecracks. But in cities such as Coral Springs, Fla., and Bend, Ore., officers
  • Written by American City & County Administrator
  • 1st April 1998

The sight of police officers having coffee in a doughnut shop may elicit wisecracks. But in cities such as Coral Springs, Fla., and Bend, Ore., officers who appear to be hanging out at fast food restaurants or convenience stores probably are working.

Rather than spend money on new facilities, many police departments are forging partnerships with private sector businesses that permit use of their desks, phones and office equipment. The businesses usually pay for the phones and other equipment, as well as for the promotional placards advertising the police presence. The concept is a new take on community policing that enables officers to project a higher profile in neighborhoods at minimal cost.

At the businesses, police can complete paperwork, meet with the public, make phone calls, and send and receive faxes. Often, officers are present at the mini-police stations only a few hours each day, but even that minimal presence can deter crime and help build relationships with the community, according to Sgt. Jeffrey Maslan of the Coral Springs (Fla.) Police Department.

Convenience stores, traditionally vulnerable to armed robberies, are jumping at the chance to accommodate the police. For example, Southland Corp., the parent company of convenience store chain 7-Eleven, has spent nearly $1 million to establish Police Community Network Centers (PCNCs) at about 170 stores in 19 states and the District of Columbia, says Company Spokeswoman Margaret Chabris.

PCNCs usually consist of a workspace with a podium or desk, a dedicated telephone, file drawers and racks for displaying crime prevention literature. Some locations include a dedicated fax machine, computer terminal, community bulletin board and designated police parking. Police in Eugene, Ore., also use their PCNC as a mail drop for officers.

The police department in Bend, Ore., opened its PCNC in August 1997. The department also has “drop-in” police stations in a coffee shop and a downtown stationery store. “It helps us keep our officers out in the field,” says Police Chief Robert Glynn, who notes that officers in the mini-stations often can reduce their response time to calls.

The Coral Springs police department has “field offices” in four McDonald’s restaurants, several other fast food outlets, an ice skating rink and a jewelry store. “It’s working out great,” Maslan says. “It breaks down the barriers and develops communication and a partnership between police and the community.”

Maslan says the public perceives officers as more approachable when they are working in a restaurant rather than sitting in a squad car filling out a report. Coral Springs also has a substation in the Coral Square Mall and another in an apartment in the city’s northeastern area, where there were none before.

Bend, which plans a major annexation soon, will open more drop-in centers at private businesses, but it also plans to add police substations to refurbished or newly built fire stations in all four quadrants of the city, Glynn says.

Tags:

Most Recent


  • Report: Local and state governments are facing a retention crisis; the worst could be yet to come
    When the pandemic struck in 2020, public retention was hit hard: jobs in local government plummeted by 8.5 percent; state employment dropped by 4.4 percent. Two years later, local and state government jobs have rebounded by about half—to 4.1 and 1.9 percent below pre-pandemic levels respectively, according to a new report from Mission Square Research […]
  • Amid an unprecedented increase in federal spending, cities and counties stand to benefit from partnerships
    The so-called “American dream” of upward mobility has more or less stagnated: Today, a little more than 40 percent of children raised at the bottom of the income ladder remain there as adults, according to Pew Charitable Trusts, and only half grow up to earn more than their parents. This data points to a concerning […]
  • hybrid technology
    Governments using technology to harness data and improve decision-making
    There’s one kind of technology that state and local governments covet, says Rob Carey, president of Cloudera Government Solutions. “While supporting multiple state and local government agencies, our team has noticed an increase in the need for hybrid cloud solutions.” A hybrid cloud is the combination of both public and private cloud deployment models. In […]
  • Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
    Infrastructure highlighted by city leaders as top priority in analysis of 60 mayoral addresses
    After two years of ping-pong lockdown orders, mask mandates, unprecedented vaccine drives and economic uncertainty, cities across the United States are beginning to emerge in the pandemic’s aftermath, and they’re prioritizing infrastructure, according to a report published Wednesday by the National League of Cities (NLC).  “The new normal, as we now understand it, is here,” […]

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your American City and County account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • What “smart city” means for 2021: How digital twins, AI and other innovations drive smart transformation
  • 10 reasons why local governments should outsource all IT: Post pandemic view
  • A call to action: Moving procurement past its pre-pandemic mindset
  • Making deals: Cooperative agreements can help governments achieve supplier diversity goals

White papers


How to Assemble a Rockstar Website Redesign Steering Committee

7th June 2022

Hand Hygiene: Compliance Matters

23rd May 2022

What it Takes to Build a Winning Esports Program

23rd May 2022
view all

Events


PODCAST


Young Leaders Episode 4 – Cyril Jefferson – City Councilman, High Point, North Carolina

13th October 2020

Young Leaders Episode 3 – Shannon Hardin – City Council President, Columbus, Ohio

27th July 2020

Young Leaders Episode 2 – Christian Williams – Development Services Planner, Goodyear, Ariz.

1st July 2020
view all

Twitter


AmerCityCounty

Report: Local and state governments are facing a retention crisis; the worst could be yet to come dlvr.it/SSnmS7

24th June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Amid an unprecedented increase in federal spending, cities and counties stand to benefit from partnerships dlvr.it/SSkGBn

23rd June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Governments using technology to harness data and improve decision-making dlvr.it/SSk3H0

23rd June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Infrastructure highlighted by city leaders as top priority in analysis of 60 mayoral addresses dlvr.it/SSgBck

22nd June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Oklahoma City puts the focus on employees when implementing changes in office technology dlvr.it/SSfyns

22nd June 2022
AmerCityCounty

We want to hear from you! Please take this brief survey and let us know how your organization is managing your budg… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

22nd June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Buying smart solutions: Technology is now part of (almost) every government purchase dlvr.it/SSbj3Z

21st June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Amid tech labor shortage, outsourcing digital services could provide relief dlvr.it/SSbj23

21st June 2022

Newsletters

Sign up for American City & County’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about local governments.

Resale Insights Dashboard

The Resale Insights Dashboard provides model-level data for the entire used equipment market to help you save time and money.

Municipal Cost Index

Updated monthly since 1978, our exclusive Municipal Cost Index shows the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital audience? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IWCE’s Urgent Communications
  • IWCE Expo

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us

FOLLOW American City and County ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2022 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X