Arts District Business Watch meets crime, security concerns

From Desiree Montilla

Published: March 18, 2025 at 3:08 p.m. Edt | Updated: 7 hours ago

Richmond, va. (Wwbt) – Dozens of local shops and restaurants along the Broad Street support each other through the Arts District Business Watch.

Liz Kincaid, Chief Executive Officer from RVA Hospitality, brought the idea to life after an increase in crime last summer.

“We broke into one of our restaurants on M and Mother's Day, so that we really had something from our misfortune, so to speak,” said Kincaid.

After this incident, Kincaid brought her concerns to the Richmond Police Department, which solved talks about what could be done to deter the crime.

“I turned to the police,” said Kincaid. “Are there more police, what resources are there, how do we deter the crime?”

The conversation triggered the idea of ​​starting the Arts District Business Watch.

“It is somehow modeled according to the neighborhood observation idea, except that business owners come together,” said Kincaid.

With a clipboard in hand, Kincaid went from door to door and recruited more than 120 people from 87 companies to join the group who are looking for one after the other.

“We are all on a relaxed side, so I would gradually go and say that I happened to me, I submitted a police report,” she said. “In theory, I would work with the police and then they sent out to the criminal police officers, who would then give me tips on what I could do in the future to better improve the security of my business and then share these tips with each other.”

Every month, Kincaid said that members of the Arts District Business Watch talk to the city council and the police about the latest crime statistics.

However, Kincaid said that the initiative goes beyond security to ensure that the infrastructure problems such as broken lights are also supplied.

“Everyone loves to complain when something goes wrong, but we want to keep this swing in the times between the times when everything is going properly and continue to maintain the infrastructure and to communicate with the mayor and the city, about which our needs and wishes are here in the art district,” said Kincaid.

Kincaid, said Kincaid, be it to create a new network with her neighbors.

“We are all together, we are all a neighborhood, we sing together or swim together and it was simply worth knowing everyone and having this dynamic in the same direction,” said Kincaid.

Richmond's police department shared with 12 on her side, Rick Edwards, with the Downtown Business Association and the Venture Richmond in 2023 and started a role in the bicycle officer to support the public security efforts along the Broad Street.

“These fourth district officers are very proud to satisfy business owners and residents of the region, to solve problems, go to the people and to talk to the people they have as a contact point.

One of the next goals for the Arts District Business Watch is to concentrate on marketing strategies to bring more visitors to the region.

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