APD chief urges store owners to take precautions

ALBANY – The Albany Police Department advises against having posters and shelves placed where they obstruct vision into and out of stores, but ultimately it’s up to owners and managers to balance business needs against safety concerns.

The question came up in a July Albany City Commission meeting when Commissioner Jon Howard raised concerns that the practice of placing advertising signs on windows could be a hazard to store personnel and customers.

In one convenience store in his Ward I in east Albany, Howard said, there is only one tiny bit of uncovered space through which someone could see inside the store. He is worried that if a store is being held up, an unwary customer could wander inside without being aware.

Also, he said, an officer driving by on patrol would not be able to see inside to tell what was going on inside the store.

An officer or passerby also would not be able to see inside in the event an employee inside was having a medical emergency, said Albany Police Chief Michael Persley, who met with The Albany Herald and Howard on Thursday.

“We have always advised the owners not to have those signs up,” Persley said. The rule of thumb is, “if you can look inside and see the clerk and he waves back, you know everything is fine.”

The department’s Crime Prevention/Community Unit periodically visits stores to perform security reviews and give recommendations.

“All law enforcement recommends to have visibility — anything that can help them from a crime prevention standpoint not to be a potential target for a robbery,” Persley said. “Stores just have to look at ways (of) how do you improve visibility, not just from the outside in, but from the inside out.”

Businesses also can take other precautions that improve security and safety.

A store with tall grass or an unkempt look, especially with trees or shrubbery in the back to provide cover, is more likely to be targeted by a burglar, Persley said.

When adjacent private property behind a store presents these conditions, store owners in the past have in some cases worked with the owner of the adjacent property to get the vegetation cut back or have placed a security fence that funnels people around to the front and side of the store.

Equally important is adequate lighting of store property, as a store with inadequate lighting can be more appealing to criminals, Persley said. Strategically placed security cameras should be high on the priority list, and these days don’t require owners to shell out a lot of money.

Persley also recommends that stores open late or that are operate 24 hours a day install locks so an employee can see who is outside before letting the person into the store. Criminals are more likely to strike during times when there are few customers coming in and out.

“If at certain times you have that door locked and you can determine who comes and goes, it helps a lot,” he said.

Officers try to patrol convenience and package stores during their shifts, especially locations considered to be at high-risk, and owners can request an escort.

“Escort for closing is something the police department has always done,” Persley said.

“All they need is to have an officer stand by when they leave. We (also) recommend they call and have an officer stand by in the morning.”

Howard said he is not contemplating a city ordinance limiting or prohibiting signs placed on windows. But, he said, there may be a way to require a safety review to cover the issue when owners apply for an alcohol sales license or there is a license transfer from one owner to another.

“It’s free space, so they use it for advertising,” Persley said. “How they want to do business is what they do.”

Staff Photo: Tara Dyer Stoyle
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