Outstanding Chamber Program Feature: Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce STAART Program

Christina A. Urquieta,  STAART Program Coordinator, Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce

​When the Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce launched the STAART Program — Stockton Takes Action Against Retail Theft — we weren’t just addressing a growing problem, we were answering a call. Our local businesses were frustrated. Residents were concerned. Retail theft was impacting not just individual stores but entire commercial corridors and neighborhoods. As a Chamber, we kept hearing concerns at meetings, ribbon cuttings, through business communications with a common theme: business owners and consumers alike felt helpless.
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STAART was built to address this head-on. After hearing from businesses and Chambers of Commerce across San Joaquin County, we partnered with the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office and signed a Memorandum of Understanding to create a formal pathway for collaboration. The idea was to take a proactive approach: combine technology, visibility, and community engagement into a toolkit that businesses and residents alike could use to report, respond to, and ultimately prevent retail crime.

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At the heart of the program is the STAART App — a tool that allows residents to submit reports of theft or suspicious activity. These reports are accessible by businesses who create Merchant Accounts on FastSTAART.com — through which businesses can compile like reports to add to their police reports or, if loss meets the felony level, be sent directly to the District Attorney’s Office. Thus far, over 500 reports have been submitted through the app, and two have already moved forward to prosecution.
But the STAART app and FastSTAART.com Merchant Accounts are just one part of the picture. The STAART Program also offers free security camera installations to eligible small businesses — with nearly 150 installations completed across the county. These cameras don’t just deter crime, they give businesses peace of mind.

A program like this only works when people believe in it. That belief has come from the support of our members, community leaders, and residents alike. From the very beginning, we made it a priority to bring in diverse voices — not just in support, but in leadership. Residents helped spread the word. City and county agencies offered outreach support. Businesses have collaborated with the Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce and other Chambers in San Joaquin County to host informational workshops covering topics such as “How To Be A Good Witness” and “Prop 36 Briefing”, with presentations from experts in their field to empower the community with knowledge.

Earlier this year, that effort was recognized when STAART received the Outstanding Chamber Program Award at the W.A.C.E. Conference. It was an honor, but more than that, it affirmed what we had already seen on the ground — that Chamber-led programs, when built in collaboration with the community, can drive meaningful change.

There are always multiple priorities a Chamber could take on at any given time — workforce development and small business recovery, to name a few. But for this instance, the urgency of retail theft could not be ignored. It wasn’t just a concern among large retailers or national chains. Small, family-run businesses were hurting and, unlike large retailers and national chains, often don’t have the resources to respond. There were long-standing businesses quietly closing their doors, others considered relocating. The realization came quickly and with a swift impact—retail theft was an issue going beyond judicial impact, there were emotional and economic impacts which went hand in hand.
Security, as a topic we heard be brought up time and time again as a concern from businesses and residents, quickly became a pillar of our program as STAART sought to enable further sustainability for small businesses. The rise of repetitive events of retail theft, ranging from smaller losses to larger organized retail theft operations, has chipped away at positive morale outlooks once held by small business owners and brought a reduced sense of safety for customers and staff alike. An issue that was seen throughout the county was businesses lacking adequate cameras for varying reasons, one being the rising costs of the hardware and professional installations.

In response to this, the STAART Program offers the $2,000 Small Business Camera Grant — accessible, quick to complete, and free to businesses. By visiting FastSTAART.com and completing the brief application, businesses which meet the eligibility requirements listed on the website receive two security cameras which are NDAA certified, the recorder, and a free installation. This was made possible through grant funds and signing contracts with contractors who wanted to be part of our goal in helping businesses prosper. To date, the STAART program has completed nearly 150 installations in retail and commercial businesses throughout San Joaquin County.
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Looking ahead, we’re excited to continue building on what’s working. That means improving the user experience on the app and expanding business outreach and functionality. But at the core, STAART will continue to be a program rooted in partnership — between the Chamber, the community, and the systems which work to see their community prosper.

Learn more about the STAART program here.

Christina A. Urquieta is the STAART Program Coordinator at the Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce. A recent graduate of the University of California, Merced, she is passionate about community-focused initiatives and supporting local businesses.

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