Antioch’s city council is taking up an idea to make its downtown corridor safer by adding private security.
Supporters say it's critically necessary with the city's police department stretched thin due to an ongoing FBI investigation, but the mayor believes using private security is a better option regardless of how many police officers are available.
“I think that we need to give the presence of security for the customer base and the potential businesses that might be coming in,” said Monica Barajas.
She is the owner of Monica's Riverview, the popular brunch spot that has only been around for a year and so far hasn't been hit by crime.
But with several nearby parking lots becoming popular spots for sideshows, she's concerned about what happens next.
“It’s a hard ask to start up all these new businesses in Antioch when there’s still the perception of it being unsafe,” said Barajas.
On Tuesday, the city council will vote on whether to add private security to downtown parking lots.
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The guards may be the best option since increasing police presence would be a tall task due to staffing issues created by an ongoing FBI investigation into the department.
Back in October, the department had just 76 full time cops.
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Mayor Lamar Thorpe said that even if they had more officers, he would rather see those officers focusing on bigger issues.
“The things we’re talking about tend to be more nuisance issues, the Antioch Police Department needs to be focused on higher level crimes, particularly in the Sycamore, Delta Fair area,” said Thorpe.
If approved, the mayor hopes to have that extra security deployed as soon as possible.
Barajas agrees and strongly believes it will attract more visitors to the city.
“I think if we really want to promote a lively downtown, we have to start with safety,” said Barajas.
