With the support of City Center businesses, ONB (Operation New Birmingham) helped form the CAP (City Action Partnership) safety guide program in 1995 to improve the safety and perception of safety in the area. It took a legislative act and a city ordinance to create the BID (Business Improvement District). The laws provide for an assessment on the property owners, which is currently .001 of the assessed property value ($1 for every $1,000 dollars of value). This funds the organization, which is non-profit and allows CAP to provide services free of charge. CAP is governed by a separate board of directors representing property owners within the BID who work to promote the CAP safety program.
