Why SafeCity Is A Great Investment
Savannah is home to more than just southern belles and sweet tea; it’s a vibrant and growing city steeped in history. There’s nothing like walking around historic downtown and immersing yourself in the meticulously crafted architecture that has graced our squares since 1733. Unlike many cities and towns that have let downtown districts become dilapidated, or that have torn down original landmarks for new construction, our historic Savannah district is lovingly and strictly protected. The conservation of our history is not only due to the Historic Preservation Foundation but the many citizens that embody Savannah.
One of the many ways we preserve our classic construction is by making sure the frame of the building stays intact and the insides are repurposed and/or updated. While the outside remains the same Savannah Grey bricks, hand-laid since the revolutionary era, parlors have been repurposed to board rooms as Savannah’s local economy booms and new businesses and entrepreneurs flock to make their headquarters in the Hostess City. Large corporations, like H&M, Urban Outfitters, and Walgreens have set up shop locally, but local businesses like Belford’s, Bull Street Taco, and Civvies help Savannah retain our individuality. Though all of these companies may have their differences, there is one common denominator...they find and see value in Downtown Savannah.
Not only does Savannah have over 14 million tourists a year (which is Moolah for everybody), but we have an active and invested small business community.
Citizens of Savannah are ardent supporters and patrons of many local businesses, and with the walkability, heavy tourist foot traffic and aesthetic charms it’s no question as to why downtown is a hot spot location for any retailer or food service vendor. However, being in the center of it all can also come at a cost - where there’s great foot traffic, there is also a higher potential risk for crimes. (Every rose has it’s thorn, ammirite, Bret??)
As citizens and community members, the safety and continued growth of Savannah are of utmost importance to us. It’s also of critical importance to local public servants, like our local government and law enforcement officials. These are organizations that are entirely devoted to the safety, success, and sustainability of our city, and it’s citizens and businesses. That’s a big job, y’all.
We’ve designed SafeCity to be an additional tool in our city’s toolkit that will help aid and advance existing efforts to improve the safety and security of Savannah and, with your help, we seek to bring a new player to the table - Savannah’s Small Business Community. Studies show that when different groups within a city (city leaders, law enforcement, community-based organizations, individuals and businesses) view themselves as partners and collaborate to both define and enforce their community values, this partnership is more successful in enacting positive change than any single entity could hope to be alone.
As a business owner, your business is your livelihood, and you want to protect yours, right? Right. You have invested time, heart, and money into building your business, and you’ve chosen to invest those resources in Savannah. As a community member, you also know the impact that your business has on your neighborhood, and likewise, the impact of the neighborhood on your business. You want your customers and employees to feel safe and for your neighbors and their customers and employees to feel the same. We want to encourage new visitors to visit these developing business corridors and to not only be a patron to your business but possibly to invest in homes and businesses of their own in the direct vicinity. We want Savannah to continue to grow and prosper. So, bottom line up front: Crime is bad. Bad for you, bad for me, bad for Savannah, and, certainly, bad for business. At SafeCity, we believe that crime is a community problem and that, together, we can help solve it.
Why Join the Safe City Initiative?
1. Safe City Harnesses The Power of Savannah’s Small Businesses
The true power of SafeCity isn’t in the equipment we use (though, rest assured, it’s, like, the Tesla of cameras). It’s in the community’s commitment to keeping their neighborhoods safe. In this effort, you and your neighbors share the responsibility for the safety and quality of life in your community. SafeCity is dedicated to and powered entirely by, Savannah’s local small business community.
2. Safe City Provides A Good Crime Deterrent
Studies show that installing “target hardening measures”, such as visible security cameras, alarm systems, and enhanced security lighting, have an immediate and substantial impact. The basic criminal theory says that potential offenders will refrain from criminal activity if they know they are being watched and believe that they are at greater risk of apprehension. We gift each participant plentiful signage and bright yellow SafeCity door/window decals to make it very clear to any potential threat, that yes. This is a SafeCity corridor, and crime will not be tolerated.
3. Safe City Contributes to Reducing crime by prosecuting crime
It’s been proven that high-quality video footage that can document criminal activity and help to identify perpetrators aids investigations & prosecutions, benefiting the victims whose cases might otherwise be unable to be closed due to lack of evidence. SafeCity is a tool in our community’s toolkit that empowers small businesses to enact change in their neighborhoods. Cameras are only one piece of the puzzle… for these technology tools to have a tangible impact they must be coupled with community engagement.
4. Safe City is Committed To The Community
Not only does the SafeCity initiative benefit the small businesses in the area, but it also benefits the citizens that call Savannah home. It shows that these businesses are not just here for financial gain but care about their interactions with their clients and customers. Creating a safer space for business owners, employees, and clients alike is the most important thing. No matter what anyone tells you, the experience a client has when coming to your business matters more than any product or service you could offer. The experience you provide by having CCTV security proves that you care about the well being of the community.
5. Safe City Fosters Collaboration Between Small Businesses
By combining crime deterrent strategies along with top of the line technology tools and, critically, the engagement and support of our local business community, we seek to build SafeCity Corridors throughout Savannah in order to provide protection to individual businesses and community members within those areas, while also helping to reduce crime rates and to continue the economic growth and successes of locally owned businesses throughout our beautiful city. Not only do advocates stand together in creating a safer environment for themselves, their patrons, and community neighbors but builds upon the foundation of collaboration. There are endless opportunities to connect and establish partnerships with other Safe City advocates, and though we are great individually we can be even better together.
Safe City was created and launched specifically with Savannah in mind. With the same resources used to handle big contracts like the Georgia Ports Authority, Military Installations, and Hospitals, the team at scDataCom sought an opportunity to connect and serve their local small business community.“SafeCity is a community-focused program dedicated to fostering the revitalization and continued growth of local business corridors. SafeCity harnesses the power of local small businesses in order to implement technology tools that act as a “force multiplier” to aid and advance city-wide efforts to improve neighborhood safety and enhances Law Enforcement’s abilities to deter, investigate and solve crimes.
In order to foster the revitalization and continued growth of local business corridors, SafeCity makes enterprise-level video intelligence available to the small to mid-size consumers. Advanced analytics offer local entrepreneurs unique consumer insights that allow them to improve the health and longevity of their business”. -Alaina Ford (COO)
SafeCity does more than just protect your business from being vandalized or broken into; our technology tools, combined with our community’s efforts, offer participants peace of mind as well as top tier security of both your store and street. SafeCity benefits the business owners, your employees and customers, and the Savannah community at large. It’s more than security - it’s a movement - Saying Savannah Strong is not just a hashtag, but a way of life. We’ve got your back...., front, and side.
What better reasons do you need? Ask how your business (or your favorite) can become an advocate today!