We are currently talking about several aspects around livability in Coos Bay. Those conversations bring into focus an important program needing more community awareness: Property Watch. The Property Watch program was established by the Coos Bay Police Department (CBPD) in 2019 and designed to assist owners of commercial properties, businesses, and apartment complexes with reducing unwanted activity occurring after business hours or when the owner (or manager) cannot be contacted. Without appropriate authority granted, CBPD is often not able to act on non-criminal issues that occur on private property, such as: nonresidents/customers hanging out on property, skateboarding, non-customer vehicles in the parking lot, etc.

The Property Watch program allows the person responsible for the property to partner with the CBPD and authorize action on their behalf when they are not there. CBPD based this program upon successful programs in place at other law enforcement agencies across Oregon including Astoria Police, Beaverton Police, Pendleton Police, and Salem Police. 

The legal foundation is a signed agreement between the property owner/manager and CBPD which provides authority for officers to address people on private property (under a Property Watch program agreement) and ask them to leave the property. CBPD’s goal is to have the legal authority to assist property owners/managers in keeping their property safe when they are not onsite to do so themselves.

There is no cost to enroll in the Property Watch program; it is renewable annually with withdrawal from the program allowable at any time. For more information, contact CBPD at the non-emergency line: 541-269-8911.

-Joe Benetti, Mayor of Coos Bay