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LA HABRA : Business Owners Get Anti-Crime Tips

Business owners met with police this week in an effort to stem a tide of crime in the city’s commercial areas.

About 20 business owners attended the second in a series of crime-prevention meetings conducted by the Police Department at City Hall on Wednesday. Officers dispensed tips on how to prevent vandalism and other crimes and urged business people to call 911 whenever they see suspicious activity.

Police officials decided to start Business Watch, a crime-prevention program similar to Neighborhood Watch, because of rising crime in the city’s commercial district. According to police, robberies rose 10% in 1992 over the previous year’s figures. The number of vandalism cases increased about 15%.

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“Crooks are sophisticated these days,” Detective Vernon Mangels told the business owners. “When they’re robbing you, it’s not luck. They watch what you do for days, so I suggest you alter what you do.”

Instead of counting the day’s cash receipts on the counter, he said, business owners should make the count where passersby can’t see. “Be a little bit suspicious. Be a little less trusting,” Mangels said.

He also advised that cashiers remain calm and offer no resistance should someone point a gun at them and ask for money. While handing over the money, a cashier should make mental notes of the robber’s description, he added.

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One business owner, Georgeanne Penoncello, said she has to replace the windows at her drafting company on La Habra Boulevard because vandals have etched their initials on them with sharp blades and pumice stones. She asked what she could do to avoid future problems.

Officers said she could cover the new glass with a scratch-resistant film. But they added that reporting vandalism to police is the key to wiping out the problem.

Stacie Dube, a manager at Short Cut & Co. beauty shop, said she hopes the Business Watch meetings will band owners together in the fight against crime. “We all need to get involved. If not, criminals are going to take advantage,” she said.

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