PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Every business wants to make sure their staff and customers feel safe and supported. Some in Portsmouth are taking a proactive approach to make that happen before an issue arises.
One of those businesses is the food mart along Elm Avenue.
Customers flocked to the store Friday. It's a centerpiece for the surrounding community.
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"We're always busy, especially after three o'clock," said the store's business manager Howie Awad.
Awad made sure to greet most of those customers by name.
There are others on a first-name basis now too, thanks to a scrap of paper on the wall.
"I was in a store earlier today and had a manager refer to one of my officers by his first name. That's great. That's what we want," said Lt. Kevin Parker, uniform patrol shift commander for dayshift, Portsmouth Police Department.
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Portsmouth police officers stopped by Awad's shop, and 14 additional businesses around the city, to scan a posted QR code since the codes went up in November.
"How did you determine which businesses received codes?" asked News 3 reporter Erika Craven.
"We looked at places that had a lot of shoplifting, a lot of vagrant issues, or just other problems and that's where we started at. We added a few businesses per the business's request too and it's kind of evolving now," said Lt. Parker.
The officers enter the store, scan the code, answer a few questions and also talk to those in the area to see if there are any issues or potential issues.
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"This area, I remember years ago, it was very bad," said Awad.
Awad said, since the codes went up police have stopped by every day and made sure to engage.
That's something police said has made a difference across the board.
"My commercial robberies have had decreases. My commercial burglaries have had decreases. And my shoplifting offenses, we've identified more suspects. They say there's never a cop around when you need one, well we're trying to make sure there is a cop around these businesses when you need one," said Lt. Parker. "We want it to be more than just get there and scan a code. It really is about building that relationship with the business."
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Awad said he's always felt safe at his shop, but the code is something more.
"To have this code here, it's a peace of mind," said Awad.
He hopes to keep building up community with everyone who visits.
And Portsmouth police hope to keep expanding the initiative. If you'd like to learn more, contact Lt. Parker.
