Civil Municipal - May 2024

The result of this survey was that businesses would stand behind an added business and occupation tax to help fund public safety, which everyone is committed to. This new tax kicks in this summer and new measures will begin to be put in place. In the meantime, another initiative has been implementing the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) approach. CPTED strategies aim to reduce crime by deterring the decisions that lead to criminal acts and drawing on a sense of community to minimize the fear of crime. Police officers in Covington have all been trained on CPTED principles and businesses are encouraged to do the same. There are great resources to help businesses with this, such as a great website that explains it in detail. Plus, officers visit owners and property managers to teach them specific techniques to reduce their potential for crime. Statistics have shown that crime has been reduced on the properties that have embraced CPTED, which is just remarkable. BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER All of these initiatives, from infrastructure projects to business development, to public safety improvements, and more, come together in a way that the whole community can feel. That’s because, amid all the action, the city and its fantastic leadership continue to focus on bringing people together; making Covington a community for all. One way this is seen is with Ready, Set, Play, a popular initiative held every summer for elementary school- aged kids. Businesses will sponsor a “brag badge”, and each badge is associated with an activity, such 86 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 05