Takeaways from the 185th St Business Block Watch and Networking Event
EPD Officer Williams offers crime prevention tips to E. 185th St. business owners.
Business owners and officials from both Euclid and Cleveland came together during this past holiday season for an East 185th Business Block Watch and Networking event at Cebars Euclid Tavern. Representatives from both the Euclid and Cleveland Police Departments came to share tips on how we can all work together to fight crime. Euclid Ward 4 Councilman Jarosz and Cleveland Ward 8 Councilman Polensek came to show their support as well. Also in attendance were Euclid Ward 6 Councilman-elect Wotilja; Sheila Gibbons, Executive Director of the Euclid Chamber of Commerce; Robert Gatewood, Owner of Gamerhaven and Northeast Shores Development Corporation Board Member; and Mary Mastalski, Community Development Manager for the City of Euclid. Our host, Paul Cvelbar - being the good Clevelander he is - provided kielbasa for the crowd. Here is some useful information for anyone who missed the meeting, much of which might be of use no matter in which neighborhood you work or live.
Kate McLaughlin, Euclid Community Policing - Euclid businesses can call EPD for free security assessments. For more information call: (216) 731-1234 . For other resources available from Euclid Community Policing, see: http://www.cityofeuclid.com/community/police/CommunityPolicing . Ms. McLaughlin also informed us that, if anyone has a security camera at your business or residence, you can help fight crime by letting the Cuyahoga Prosecutor's Office know that they can contact you if your system might have caught footage they could use. See: http://prosecutor.cuyahogacounty.us/en-US/2016-11-22-surveillance-camera-initiative.aspx .
Officer Williams, EPD Patrol - Euclid businesses can call EPD if they ever feel they need an escort, such as for cash drops. Officer Williams also reminded us that having our smartphones out can be an attraction to criminals, so try to keep them in bags or pockets if possible.
Commander Johnson, Cleveland Community Policing - CPD conducts free security assessments for businesses as well. For more information call: (216) 623-5080 .
Commander Johnson also stressed the importance of being familiar with where the Euclid-Cleveland border is drawn and knowing (or storing in your phone) the direct lines to both the Euclid and Cleveland Police Departments. You can help reduce response time if you call the police department directly of the city where a situation is taking place. The number for Euclid is 216-731-1234 and the number for Cleveland is 216-621-1234. If in doubt, however, don't hesitate to call 9-1-1 for emergencies and they will figure out which department to dispatch. For other resources available from Cleveland Community Policing, see: http://www.city.cleveland.oh.us/CityofCleveland/Home/Government/CityAgencies/PublicSafety/Police/Community .
Greg Pollard, Safety Liaison for Cleveland Ward 8 - Mr. Pollard is the Safety Liaison for both the Collinwood-Nottingham and Northeast Shores Development Corporations. Retired after decades of work in Community Policing, he encouraged everyone to make it a point to meet your merchant neighbors and look out for one another. http://northeastshores.org/ .
Mike Polensek, Councilman for Cleveland Ward 8 - Councilman Polensek urged everyone to get more involved with neighborhood organizations. The subsequent speakers offered suggestions on ways to do just that. See below. http://www.clevelandcitycouncil.org/ward-8 (Euclid Council contacts: Contact for your Euclid Council rep can be found here: http://www.cityofeuclid.com/community/CityCouncil ) Charlotte Iafeliece, Organizer for E. 185th St. Monthly Neighborhood Meeting - Ms. Iafeliece hosts a Neighborhood Meeting open to both Cleveland and Euclid businesses, residents and officials in the E. 185th St. area. The meeting takes place on the second Tuesday of each month at 6 PM at the Lithuanian Club, which is located at 877 East 185th Street. Feel free to join your neighbors at the next meeting on February 13!
Lauren Calevich, Owner of LCevents - Ms. Calevich encouraged the merchants and business owners on East 185th to stay in communication with one another and spoke on how working together can have positive results for the street. Anyone who is interested in being on the East 185th Community Merchant's contact list should send their name, place of business, contact info, and preferred method of contact to Lauren Calevich at LCeventsCLE@gmail.com or Alisa Boles at alisa.boles@gmail.com. This list may be distributed to other merchants in the future so that all merchants on it can alert one another when issues arise or news needs to be shared.
Sheila Gibbons, Executive Director of the Euclid Chamber of Commerce - Ms. Gibbons invited all E. 185th St. businesses to join the Euclid Chamber of Commerce, no matter if they are situated in Euclid or Cleveland. Because Cleveland does not have its own Chamber of Commerce, area businesses can get localized support from the Euclid Chamber of Commerce. For more information about what the Euclid Chamber of Commerce offers to support your business, visit euclidchamber.com , call (216) 731-9322 or email info@euclidchamber.com .