Business Watch Program

The key to a safe community is a partnership between law enforcement and businesses. Laguna Niguel Police Services offers merchants the opportunity to become part of Business Watch. This program is a crime prevention program that enlists the active participation of citizens in cooperation with law enforcement to reduce commercial crime in their community. Business Watch involves the following:

• Business owners getting to know each other, taking the time to care about each other and working together in a program of mutual assistance.
• Citizens being trained to recognize and report suspicious activities in their communities.
• Crime prevention strategies such as business security, Operation Identification, and others being implemented by citizens.
• You may hear it called Business Watch or Business Alert. Though the names differ the ideas are the same.

Laguna Niguel Police Services provides the following services to commercial property owners and managers:

• Security surveys conducted on-site to make your property more secure.
• Safety and training sessions for your employees.
• Burglary and robbery procedures.
• Safety programs for employees.

Why Business Watch?

There can’t be a law enforcement officer on every corner, so citizen’s involvement is essential to combat crime. You and your fellow merchants are the ones who really know what is going on in your community. By cooperation with each other and the police, people can help fight crime in their community in the most effective way – before it begins! Business Watch members place a decal in their store front windows and post Business Watch signs on there commercial property, warning criminals that they are in an active Business Watch Community, and that merchants are watching out for each other. Also, each member of Business Watch is assigned a member number (on decal) which is used to contact business owners in case of an after hour emergency such as a unsecured door or window, a window smash, or a burglary.

How to Start a Business Watch Program?

• Contact Laguna Niguel Police Services at (949) 362–4306 and explain that you would like to start a Business Watch group and ask for assistance.
• Ask about the crime conditions in your Business Community.
• Ask to have a Police Services representative at your first meeting.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department encourages everyone to leave their names and telephone numbers when reporting a crime, or suspicious activity. However, an anonymous tip is just as much appreciated. Please don’t hesitate to call toll free at 770-6011.

Business Simplified Action for Emergencies (B.S.A.F.E)

The Business Simplified Action for Emergencies plan of B.S.A.F.E. has been designed to promote public awareness in the Commercial Business sector. City Emergency Services personnel are available to make presentations to businesses, commercial and residential management.