The primary goal of the crime prevention bureau and the Southfield Police Department is to educate the community about security awareness. Officers of the Crime Prevention Bureau make homeowners and business people feel more secure by increasing their knowledge. The department offers a free security survey to all Southfield residents and business owners. Officers will inspect, on request, homes or businesses and make recommendations about security. Officers survey the physical aspects of the property, including doors, windows, lighting and landscaping. They also evaluate the operational practices of businesses. Areas of potential concern may be money handling procedures or key control, and security practices in general.

A security survey is a process in which the citizens and officer interact. The officer walks the individual through the home or business, notes problems and suggests options to correct them. The goal is to make people more aware of their individual property and encourage them to plan ahead, so they are not easy targets. Since the Crime Prevention Bureau began in 1975, officers have conducted thousands of commercial and residential surveys.

The Crime Prevention staff believes that citizen awareness is the key to preventing crime. Free crime prevention presentations and educational materials are provided to residents of Southfield.

For more information, call (248) 796-5400.