Think of it as neighborhood watch for businesses.
The Oro Valley Police Department's Adopt-A-Business program brings local businesses together with police officers to resolve issues and exchange information and ideas.
Officers select a minimum of five businesses - some have as many as 10 - to make contact with at least once a week.
At last count, 41 police officers had adopted 145 Oro Valley businesses.
"We definitely help them and in turn, they turn around and help us when we need it," Officer Elijah Woodward said.
Oro Valley's Adopt-A-Business program was the product of Sgt. Bruce Thomas.
Thomas had devised a similar Adopt-A-Business program when he was employed with the Marana Police Department and brought the program to Oro Valley in 2007.
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The program started with just Thomas' squad.
"I told them to go out and make contact with five businesses and do it every week," Thomas said of the first year. "They all loved it because it gave them personal contact with somebody other than the bad guys."
The program went department-wide in 2009, and continues to grow.
There's no cost for a business to participate in the program, and police officers are not allowed to accept gratuities from businesses.
The police department has started to work with the town's economic development manager, Amanda Jacobs, to make sure all businesses are aware of the program.
Jacobs and a council member meet with two businesses a month through the town's Business Retention & Expansion Program, and Adopt-A-Business is a topic of discussion.
"They like that the police officers are responsive. If they have a question, they have a direct contact to the police department," Jacobs said.
Businesses and police officers combine resources to solve problems and spot crime trends moving through Oro Valley and other parts of the region.
"Either the business can recognize the trend and tell us because they are talking, or we recognize the trend in law enforcement and we notify the businesses," said Lt. Chris Olson, who supervises the program.
Four-year veteran Woodward once handled a case where a woman's purse was stolen from her vehicle.
He called his contact at a local retail store to see if the woman's credit card had been used.
Store transactions showed the card had been used at the store and Woodward was able to obtain photos of the suspect, who was later arrested.
Woodward and Erik Collins, who is head of security at Target on North Oracle Road and North First Avenue, work together to plan quarterly security meetings at which businesses can exchange information and receive training.
"The intelligence they give us allows us to use our assets that we have at our stores more productively," Collins said.
Target's partnership with the Oro Valley Police Department is mutually beneficial and also makes the community a better place, Collins said.
The store holds about 20 events a year, including the town's popular Dispose-A-Med program, with the police department.
"They are extremely proactive," Collins said of the Oro Valley police. "If I call them with anything, they are here."
Officials say the program recognizes the economic role businesses play in the town.
"The program is not only to sustain what we have, but to entice other businesses to come in and be part of this program as well," Olson said.
Contact reporter Andrea Rivera at arivera@azstarnet.com or 807-8430.
