See something, say something

After a spate of recent robberies, business owners are banding together with the help of the local chamber of commerce, police department and town officials to quickly share information when a robbery or crime occurs at a commercial property.

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2016-12-17 / Front Page http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20161217/NEWS02/161219591/0/SEARCH See something, say something Following recent robberies, businesses link up to share info Downtown Springfield. Businesses, the local chamber of commerce and the Springfield Police Department have come together to create an information service to keep businesses informed in the case of a crime at a commercial property in town. — TORY JONES Downtown Springfield. Businesses, the local chamber of commerce and the Springfield Police Department have come together to create an information service to keep businesses informed in the case of a crime at a commercial property in town. — TORY JONES SPRINGFIELD — After a spate of recent robberies, business owners are banding together with the help of the local chamber of commerce, police department and town officials to quickly share information when a robbery or crime occurs at a commercial property. “We were concerned, the member businesses were concerned, and the community was concerned,” said Caitlin Christiana, executive director of the Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce (SRCC), on Friday, Dec. 16. “People were feeling frustrated and helpless.” Several robberies, all targeting businesses, during the last three months were having a “negative effect on morale” in the community, Christiana said. When an SRCC board member asked whether the chamber could step in to help send out basic information to business owners while the police department was busy responding to a situation, she started thinking about how to make that happen. Christiana met on Wednesday, Nov. 30 with Town Manager Tom Yennerell, Springfield Police Chief Douglas Johnston, and several businesses owners who had been victims of recent crimes, to share a plan — similar to those already in place in other communities — to help keep business owners updated in the event of a robbery. “We are working with the community on this to provide them with a different way of keeping informed,” Johnston said on Friday. This lead to the creation of the Springfield Information Sharing Alliance (SISA), which derived its name from both its purpose, and because SISA, said aloud, sounds like the phrase, “See something, say something,” Christiana said. “We had a good conversation, sharing concerns, frustrations and ideas, and we came away from that meeting with the beginnings of a plan,” she said. “Sharing information will help with a sense of unifying the community.” One of the concerns raised was that individuals felt that area businesses should be warned quickly when a robbery or violent act occurs so that they can be aware of the threat and act accordingly in a timely manner. Several businesses have signed up to be a part of the information-sharing alliance, she said. SISA will be open to all local businesses, not only chamber members. Christiana said that, while the chamber’s board wants citizens to be informed of dangers and risks, it does not want the sharing of criminal incidents to be “blown up, out of proportion,” and negatively affect or deter people and businesses from moving to Springfield. “So it’s a fine line,” she said. She also mentioned that SPD maintains and posts updates on its Facebook page, but that not all local citizens may be using that kind of social media. “It was agreed that we need a better system for sharing information,” she said. They discussed a phone tree at first, and settled on email as a way to quickly reach everyone on the list. The idea is that any area business that wants to “stay in the loop” can add their email address to the list to be notified of significant crime incidents in the community, Christiana said. Business owners receiving the emails would then be free to share them at their discretion, such as with employees if concerned for their safety. The email may come from the police department, or, if the department is busy investigating at the time, it may be sent from a town official, the SRCC, or from an area business that has valid information about the situation. That information may be simple notification that a crime has occurred, where and when, and a warning to be vigilant; or it may include details, such as a vehicle or suspect to look out for. In a shopping plaza in north Springfield near the site of an armed robbery on Nov. 10 at Mascoma Savings Bank, some business owners are concerned that the plaza may be targeted next, said Christina Cobb, an esthetician, nutrition and wellness consultant, and owner of Advanced Skin Care Spa & Wellness. Cobb said on Friday that she had heard about the information sharing effort, and was planning to contact the chamber of commerce. She also mentioned that she would have liked to have been notified in some way following the robbery at the bank. “I think it is a good idea for businesses to be warned,” she said. At the nearby Riverside Restaurant, owner and manager Crystal Laviere said on Friday that she plans to sign up for the information sharing list. “I think it’s a great idea,” she said. “The community should stick together.” In October, an armed robber targeted the Windsor County South Credit Union. Police are investigating if those robberies are linked to a more recent robbery on Dec. 5 at River Street Pharmacy. The chamber of commerce is acting as a liaison of sorts, but the SISA project is still in progress and it is yet to be determined which entity will send out the email in the event of an occurrence, she said. Another benefit of SISA is the potential for members to take inventory of their own safety habits, such as parking and patterns that may attract attention of potential burglars, she said. “By updating businesses in the loop, everyone will be on the alert to keep their eyes and ears open for any suspicious activity that might be relevant to the cases …. We can all do our part to watch over our neighbors and report anything that doesn't seem right,” Christiana said. Christiana also said the chamber will continue developing strategies to improve communication between businesses, SPD and the town. She is still collecting email addresses, which will also be provided to the SPD and a municipal official. The group will then meet again to decide who will finalize and send out the emails. Information shared will be “at the discretion of the people in charge,” she said. Those interested in signing up for the SISA list may send an email to springfieldrcoc@vermontel.net.