Top Ten Holiday List

Our folks in the Crime Prevention Unit put together some valuable tips for a more enjoyable holiday season.  Here are some points to ponder:

1. Minimize the amount of cash and the number of debit or credit cards you carry. 
2. Keep gift cards close and secure. They are easily redeemable and difficult to recover once they are stolen. 
3. If you are shopping with small children, have a plan in place if you are separated. Teach them to get help from a store clerk or a police officer. 
4. Stay alert and avoid talking on your cell phone while walking through parking lots.
5. Do not overload yourself with packages and do not leave your purchases unattended, not even for a moment.
6. Do not make multiple trips out to your car while shopping; purchases can be easily stolen from a locked trunk.
7. Go immediately home after large purchases, such as televisions, computers, and jewelry. Criminals have been known to follow their victims to another destination and break into their car.
8. When shopping online, ensure your computer is equipped with updated security software, you are shopping on secured websites and you are only using reputable company sites.
9. After the holidays, do not advertise your gifts. Destroy the boxes and place them in a sealed opaque bag or trash can.
10. If you see something suspicious, call the police immediately.

Remember, some of our fellow citizens are experiencing significant stress from the season, coupled with tough economic times.  An extra dose of patience and kindness will go a long way.  Happy Holidays!  Stay safe.

The Many Faces of Distracted Driving

The proliferation of portable electronic devices has many of us thinking about how technology has influenced driving habits. It’s easy these days to forget some of the more traditional distractions.

A couple of months ago, one of our officers told me about a crash he witnessed, which illustrated this point. The video of the crash is included below.

In this case, the driver reported that she was distracted by putting on her shoes at the time of the crash. In addition to playing with their smart phones, people still read, eat, put on makeup, shave, and brush their teeth while driving.

Remember when you first started driving? At least subconsciously, you recognized that operating a vehicle involved coordination and concentration. It’s called a “divided attention” activity. Just by simply driving the car, your attention is focused on several different things at one time.

Consider how you can limit your distractions when you drive. Pushing 4,000 pounds of machinery down the road is a pretty big responsibility. Let’s not get distracted and avoid the mayhem (love those commercials).

How We Roll

I was just pulling into the station when I heard the call go out. A child was trapped under a car. This type of call flicks a switch. 

Within a few minutes Community Service Officer Ernie Bucinskas, Motor Officer Mike Daly and Patrol Officer Bruce Sonnenblick, with the help of a couple of civilians, are lifting a car off of the victim. A citizen pulls the injured child to safety.

You can find the story and video on our site. The rescue may not be extraordinary to some. What I find inspiring is that in these times, we still have extraordinary people who run toward, not away from any challenge.

You can’t train or coach commitment to duty. It’s wired into the DNA of our first responders, and some of our citizens, too. It’s who we are. It’s how we roll.

Don't Get Distracted

In the Not in My Neighborhood post, I mentioned that thieves are using a number of strategies to commit burglaries.  Distraction schemes are a common tactic used to victimize citizens.

Just last Friday, an elderly resident was sitting on her front porch when a male approached her about some yard work he had completed for her neighbors. The male convinced the resident to move to the backyard to evaluate the work. The suspect was talking on a cell phone while speaking with the victim in the yard.  When she returned to the front of her house, the suspect got into his van and left the area. The victim went inside of her house and found that her jewelry, cash and credit cards were stolen.

Be wary of people showing up at your house to offer unsolicited products or services. It may seem a bit harsh, but I recommend that you ask uninvited solicitors to kindly leave your property.

We have a city ordinance that may assist you with unwanted solicitors, but it requires some action on your part. The rule prohibits solicitation at residences displaying a "No Soliciting" sign, or words to that effect. I suggest picking up one of these signs at a local hardware store or you can even drop by our Police Station and pick one (pictured below) up.

As always, if you see something that doesn't seem right, give us a call.  Stay vigilant and stay safe.  Thanks.

Not in My Neighborhood

In my last blog post (2011 Halftime Report), I mentioned that we were experiencing a significant increase in burglaries. Residential burglaries almost doubled last month compared to the same time period in 2010. In August 2011, we also had almost 50% more automobile burglaries compared to August of 2010.

A residential burglary case we worked yesterday perfectly illustrates the challenge we are facing. An observant resident saw two suspects in his neighbor’s backyard. Responding officers captured the lookouts in the getaway car, located in the driveway. Officers caught the other burglars as they came out of the rear and front doors of the house. All four suspects came up from Broward in a leased vehicle.

These criminals are organized, creative and persistent. The Sun-Sentinel recently published an article (Hard-core juveniles at heart of property crime wave), which describes this new wave to a certain degree.

A big part of the challenge is rooted in the fact that groups of these suspects are making the trip to Boca Raton from other areas to commit these crimes. They share information with each other about potential targets, rent or borrow cars, drive to our neighborhoods, and search for unoccupied houses.

Oftentimes, they knock on doors and make up stories if they encounter a resident. They may tell you they are “looking for a friend” or they might ask to use your telephone. Likely, you will sense something isn't right. This is the critical time to call the police.

In the last 24 hours, we arrested eight people for assorted home burglaries. Almost every day we are making arrests. Check out a sample of recent cases by clicking here.

We will continue to make arrests, if you continue to point us in the right direction. Most of these investigations start with a phone call from a vigilant citizen. We are also finding that these criminals make many unsuccessful attempts because residents have hardened the targeted houses.

We all need to maintain a "not in my neighborhood" mentality. Don’t wait to call in that suspicious person. Protect your house now. For specific crime prevention tips visit our Home Security page. We are extremely thankful for the help we have received from you recently. Keep up the good work and stay safe!

2011 Halftime Report

Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) offenses dropped by about 3.2% in the first six months of 2011, compared to the same timeframe last year. The general crime trend over the past few years has been downward, considering declines in 2008 (-5.7%), 2009 (-4.6%), and 2010 (-18.8%).


Sex offenses increased, with 6 cases occurring within the month of January. All of the investigations involved known offenders.

There were 30 robberies within the first six months of this year, up from 22 in 2010. With the exception of 2010, the number of robberies is still the lowest amount in the past 5 years. Overall, violent crime remains very low.

Property crime continues to be the largest portion (93%) of our Part 1 crime. Residential burglaries dropped by about 14%. The number of commercial burglaries was essentially the same as 2010. The areas of concern for property crimes early in the year were bicycle thefts, larcenies involving automobile parts and thefts from buildings.

We have a very safe city. You would have to trace our history back to 1972 to find a lower crime rate. Our residents and the members of our department value the great quality of life in this community, continuing to demonstrate no tolerance for crime of any type.

Over the past two months, we have seen a significant increase in automobile and residential burglaries. In my next blog post, I’ll talk about what we are doing and what we need residents to do in order to address this matter. Effective community policing begins with you and our success is contingent upon active citizen participation. Stay safe!

Above and Beyond

I thought I was dead. John reassured me that I will be ok.

Shanon Cheney was walking her dog near the beach in May of this year when she was struck by a vehicle. Community Service Officer John Boylston was the first person on the scene.

Shannon literally had broken bones from head to toe. She was rushed to the trauma center in Delray for emergency surgery.

He never once left my side. He wasn't just doing his job; he made me feel that this was personal, as if I were his daughter.

Cleaning out road rash is an extremely painful ordeal. John stayed with Shannon throughout the entire process.

John stood by my side even while my boyfriend and family arrived and he held my hand the entire time that I screamed and cried in such agony.

After the surgery, Shannon was moved to the ICU. John went to check on her the next day.

After four weeks of therapy, Shannon and her mom just had to grab an iced coffee following a doctor's visit. She saw John in the parking lot. Tears were shared.

He ran over to me and gave me the biggest hug ever...I can't thank him enough for doing his job and being my hero that day.

It was an honor to present John with the Civilian of the Month Award, with Shanon and her mother present. We all realize that John wasn't just "doing his job."

John and Shannon exemplified outstanding service and true courage. It's great to see real examples of what "Above and Beyond" truly means.