Madison's Central Business Improvement District (BID) Supports Downtown Safety
Read how at the link above.

Downtown ReachOut Program

Officer Dolsen

BID Neighborhood Officer
Police Officer Chanda Dolsen
Neighborhood Officer, State Street/Capitol Square
Madison Police Department-Central District
211 S. Carroll St
Madison, WI 53703
608-577-5731(c)
608-267-2677(o)
cdolsen@cityofmadison.com

The Neighborhood Officer is usually on duty Tues-Sat, 8 am - 4 pm. To report an incident in progress where you need an officer to come right away, call dispatch at 608-266-4275 (press 6 to get a person). In case of emergency, call 911.

Panhandling, Quality of Life Problems
See the info sheet below for what to do when panhandling and other illegal behaviors cause problems for you or your customers:

Panhandling Info Sheet (Updated May, 2010)
Madison General Ordinances (excerpts)
Downtown ReachOut Program

Crime Prevention Tips for Business Owners
From former neighborhood office Linda Covert.

Business Burglary Prevention Tips

Shoplifting Prevention Tips
1. National Association for Shoplifting Prevention

2. Shoplifting prevention 101

3. Center for Problem-Oriented Policing report has info on store layout and other shoplifting prevention practices.

4. To establish a solid base for probable cause, and prevent false arrest claims, there are six universally accepted steps that a merchant should be follow before detaining someone suspected of shoplifting:

Preventing Credit Card Fraud
Officer Covert provided this info on avoiding credit card fraud:

Visa recommends steps to ensure the legitimacy of cards, cardholder, and transactions.

Mastercard offers merchants tips for preventing fraud.

The Check and Card Fraud report from the Center for Problem-Oriented Policing reports: "Reminding would-be shoplifters that shoplifting is a crime and warning them that they will be prosecuted can help reduce shoplifting . . . . A simple sign such as "WE REQUIRE ID FOR CHECKS AND CARDS" indicates that the business takes IDs seriously."



Detecting Counterfeit Money

Central District Community Statistics Briefings
Link to Central District Police site where you can view and download presentations with district statistics from the bi-monthly community meetings.

Downtown Safety Initiative (February 2007)
See link above for a copy of the Downtown Safety Initiative, the plan developed by Central District Police with resident, business and student input, to expend the $100,000 allocated to downtown safety in 2007.

Central District Community Policing Team

Central District Police Action Plan (August 2006)

Central District Police

Central District Police Newsletter