Keeping Your Employees, Customers, and Business Safe

When you run your own business, it’s easy to get lost in the day-to-day operations of making a profit. But it’s good to take a step back and think about keeping your business safe. Let’s explore tips for protecting your business from vandals and potential thieves.

If you have questions or want more information, reach out to us through one of our social media channels, by sending us a message, or calling our Community Preservation Unit at (209)831-6550.

What types of incidents should I call in to report?

• • If there is an active threat or crime in progress, please call 911.
  • For active issues such as loitering, trespassing, vandalism, etc., please call the non-emergency number (209) 831-6550.

What is the Go Tracy App, and how do I use it?

The Go Tracy! app is a Citizen Relationship Management system that allows residents to submit questions or requests for city services through the internet. Residents will receive an immediate response acknowledging their request, ensuring that it will never get lost. They will also receive regular updates regarding the progress of their requests. The Go Tracy! app can be used to contact the police department for the following purposes:

• • Reporting Abandoned Vehicles
  • Reporting Graffiti
  • Reporting Sanitation Issues
  • Reporting Parking Violations
  • Requesting a Speed Display Radar Trailer on your street
  • Reporting Speeding Vehicles or other Traffic issues

Download the GO Tracy! app, from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

What is Business Watch?

Business Watch is a partnership between businesses and the Tracy Police Department, similar to Neighborhood Watch, focused on reducing crime through education and communication. The Crime Prevention Specialist and Neighborhood Resource Officers serve as liaisons. Benefits of joining include:

• • Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) Surveys
  • Educational presentations for staff
  • Building relationships between staff and police to create trust and transparency
  • Camera Registry Program
  • Partnering to better serve the community through engagement and education.

For more information, please contact the Crime Prevention Specialist at (209) 831-6614.

How should I report a crime if I don’t have suspect information for the crime committed at my place of business?

Please remember that our online reporting system only accepts reports for the following crimes:

• • Theft: The value of stolen items must be $5,000 or less.
  • Auto Burglary: Theft of items from a vehicle with a value of $5,000 or less.
  • Attempted Auto Theft: If someone attempted to steal your vehicle without using force and there is no information or evidence to identify the suspect.
  • Harassing Phone Call: When there is no information or evidence to identify the caller.
  • – Non-injury “hit-and-run”
  • Traffic Accidents: If your vehicle was hit and there is no information or evidence to identify the other party.
  • Late Reported Traffic Accidents: If you were involved in a non-injury traffic accident and all parties have left the scene.
  • Forgery: When there is no information or evidence to identify the suspect.

If your report meets the above qualifications, please fill out an online report HERE.

What Information should I be prepared to give the dispatcher when I call?

Please make sure to provide the following information in case of an emergency:

• • Location: The address of the emergency, including the street, city, or town. If you don’t have an address, you can try to describe your location as best you can, including landmarks or nearby businesses.
  • Phone number: The phone number you are calling from. Nature of the emergency: What the emergency is and what type of assistance is needed.
  • Details: A description of any people or vehicles involved, or any injuries or symptoms being experienced.
  • Relationship: Your relationship to the patient or involved parties.

Remember to: Stay calm, speak clearly, stay on the line, and follow the dispatcher’s instructions. Do not hang up until the dispatcher tells you to.

What is the Camera Registry program?

The Tracy Police Department is partnering with local businesses to create a voluntary list of privately owned surveillance cameras to enhance crime prevention and public safety. You will only be contacted if a criminal incident occurs near your camera, and police may request video footage to assist in investigations. Registration is free, confidential, and does not grant direct access to your cameras. You can delete your registration at any time.

To Register your camera, click HERE.

When officers arrive, be prepared to:

1. 1. Establish contact: Identify yourself and provide your information. Please keep in mind that a crime requires a victim to press charges for successful prosecution.
   2. Assist the investigation: If helpful, provide access to onsite cameras.
   3. Preserve the scene: Protect the integrity of the crime scene until officers arrive.
   4. Guide officers: Upon their arrival, direct officers to any potential evidence you may have found, i.e. surveillance video, witnesses, burglary tools, etc.

How to Handle Trespassing Issues

For the Tracy Police Department to better assist you with enforcement issues arising from solicitation and/or the unhoused community, we recommend purchasing and erecting the above signage on the exterior of your business and in visible areas throughout the parking lot.

If you have any questions, please contact our Neighborhood Resource Officers:

NRO Brandi (209) 831-6611 or NRO Strong (209) 831-6667.

* Signage size is 12” X 18” Dibond (reflective) or 12” X 18” .090 Aluminum (reflective). You can purchase signage online or through Tracy Signs, a local business here in Tracy. The Tracy Police Department has no affiliation with any online companies or with Tracy Sign.

4.12.1200 – Trespassing, loitering, parking, or operating motor vehicles on posted property.

(a) Definitions. For the purposes of this section, certain words and phrases used in this section are defined as follows:

(1) “Loiter” shall mean the act of remaining upon posted property without the permission of the owner or person in lawful possession.
(2) “Motor vehicle” shall be construed in the same manner as it is construed in the Vehicle Code of the State.
(3) “Posted property” shall mean property upon which appropriate signs have been placed pursuant to this section.
(4) “Sign” shall mean a board or card upon which, in lettering not less than one inch in height, are printed the appropriate restriction s pursuant to subsection (b) of this section.
(5) “Trespass” shall mean the act of entering or remaining upon posted property without the permission of the owner or person in lawful possession.
(b) Authority for posting. The owner or person in lawful possession of any property may post the property prohibiting any one or any combination of the following acts:
(1) Trespassing;
(2) Loitering;
(3) Parking of motor vehicles; and
(4) Operation of motor vehicles.

Such posting of property may totally prohibit the specified acts or may prohibit them during certain hours. The restrictions may be made to apply only to the general public as opposed to customers or tenants. This section shall not apply to the following property:

(i) An established and existing right-of-way for public road purposes; or (ii) Any property which comes within the provisions of Section 554 of the Penal Code of the State.

(c) Method of posting: Trespassing, parking of motor vehicles, and operation of motor vehicles. Posting prohibiting trespassing, the parking of motor vehicles, the operation of motor vehicles, or any combination thereof as authorized by subsection (b) of this section shall be accomplished by a sign or signs posted on the property at a location or locations sufficient to give adequate and reasonable notice of the restrictions. If the property has defined entrances, a sign shall be posted at each such entrance.

(d) Method of posting: Loitering. Posting prohibiting loitering as authorized by subsection (b) of this section shall be accomplished by a sign or signs posted on the property at a location or locations sufficient to give adequate and reasonable notice of the restriction.

(e) Trespassing, parking, and operation of motor vehicles prohibited. It shall be unlawful for any person to do any act which is prohibited by the language of any sign posted pursuant to this section or posted pursuant to Section 22658 of the Vehicle Code of the State. The following exceptions shall apply:

For subsection (1) of subsection (e) of this section:

NO TRESPASSING TMC 4.12.1200(e), NO TRESPASSING OR LOITERING TMC 4.12.1200(e), NO PARKING TMC 4.12.1200(e), NO MOTOR VEHICLESTMC 4.12.1200(e), NO TRESPASSING NO PARKING, TMC 4.12.1200(e), NO TRESPASSING NO MOTOR VEHICLES TMC 4.12.1200(e)