DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A pilot program to beef up security in downtown Daytona Beach is going to stick around.
The city first added security guards in the pilot to its Beach Street after seeing an increase in crime and issues with homeless people.
Now, city leaders said the program is working and they’re going to keep the program around for another year.
The extra security is something businesses and downtown residents asked for. Plus, the area around Beach Street is the center of a major $100 million redevelopment project.
“Just even being up here and working at the register, I’m looking outside, and I see them patrolling, I see more families,” said Vanessa Shockey, an employee at Nicole’s Beach Street Mall.
There are dozens of businesses lining that downtown street and many told News 6 they are noticing a shift compared to what they were seeing before these security guards started patrolling.
“A lot of homeless people hanging out and panhandling to our customers and stopping them as they walked into the store,” Shockey said.
In this pilot program, the city hired two security guards. Since they’ve started, the city reported that it’s collecting less litter around here, seeing fewer parking problems, less panhandling to customers trying to eat outside and the security guards have even helped with some crime.
“We don’t have scooters and motorcycles parking in the little pedestrian alleys between the buildings. It’s made a huge difference,” said Tammy Kozinski, owner of Sweet Marlay’s Coffee.
The city said the security guards walk up and down Beach Street and even have checkpoints to show where they have been. They work separate shifts and patrol from 6 a.m. through 10 p.m.
They also have radios that directly connect them to the police department if a bigger issue comes up.
“This was a way of answering the problem and not stretching the police staffing more than it already is,” Kozinski said.
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