MEMPHIS, Tenn.– The City of Memphis is committing $3 million over the next three years to help small business owners recover from crime.

Memphis Mayor Paul Young and Police Chief C.J. Davis made the announcement during a crime meeting with a group of concerned business owners Wednesday night in East Memphis.

The pilot program called CPTED, or Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, focuses on small businesses. However, to get the money, there are some qualifications.

The business must be within the city limits, earn less than $750,000 a year, be up to date on taxes, and victimized by crime after July 1st of 2024.

The crime must also fall into the categories of business burglaries, business robberies, a robbery or assault on site with staff or customers, structural damage of a business during a robbery or burglary, vehicle thefts, or car break-ins with security on site.

EDGE is managing the program and will only accept an assessment within 60 days of an incident.

Business owners also got advice on how to prevent their businesses from being targeted by criminals.

“When you look at the building and how the building is laid out, there can be things like the bushes being too high and preventing people from seeing out of the windows,” said Young.

Young said better lighting around businesses can also help reduce crime.

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