Task force seeks to cut crime at Towne Center at Fayetteville

Seeking a safer holiday season                      

FAYETTEVILLE — With the holiday shopping season now underway, the Town of Manlius Police Department says it wants to prevent robberies and other retail crimes with the creation of a retail crime task force. The task force is a public/private partnership with COR Properties and local retailers at Towne Center at Fayetteville, the department said in its Nov. 26 announcement. This comes after an analysis by the town’s police department found that incidents of thefts and other retail crime are up 35 percent year to date in 2024 compared to 2023. “Beginning immediately and continuing into the new year,” the Town of Manlius Police Department will, as necessary, deploy officers dressed in plain clothes around Fayetteville Towne Center and within participating stores. The department also notes that signs will be “conspicuously” displayed around Towne Center informing the public about the presence of plain-clothes police officers. Teams will also include uniformed officers in marked patrol vehicles. Those arrested for crimes should also expect to be “trespassed” or banned from all COR properties for up to three years. Subsequent arrests in violation of no-trespass orders may result in serious felony charges with the possibility of jail time exceeding one year, the Manlius Police Department said. Officers patrolling Fayetteville Towne Center will also be on the lookout for crimes occurring in the parking lots, and the department would like to remind shoppers and families about how to avoid being a crime victim this holiday season. Manlius Police say that with increased shopping comes an increase in thefts from motor vehicles. Shoppers and families should not leave purchased products in vehicles “longer than necessary;” keep bags, packages, and valuables out of sight; remove keys from vehicles; and always remember to lock your car.

What led to the task force

In early 2024, the Town of Manlius Police Department began an initiative called the chief’s business-advisory committee. The group sought to increase communication and collaboration between the department and local businesses with the goal of improving the quality of life for customers, employees, and businesses. The committee also wanted to continue to “ensure the Town of Manlius is a desirable location for commerce.” The Town of Manlius Police Department’s analysis identified a “significant portion” of retail crime and business losses due to theft in the town are concentrated at Fayetteville Towne Center and incidents have increased 35 percent so far in 2024 compared to the previous year.