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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005 Public Safety Annual ReportVillage of North Palm Beach Department of Public Safety 2005 Annual Report ~ t t ~ • t ~ I~ ` r ~ s ~ 4.. .'3 g" 6 r4{ k 4 - _ ' -~ ~ rte. ^ _ - _ - ~ ; .~fi Imo ~ r ? t~UR'~#~ ~~~i~ B~ACti t; .~'j~n "h3 3. y A ~ ~i~.. ~r+w R - w y..v ~t Y- OVERVIEW: This report was prepared by the Village of North Palm Beach Department of Public Safety to provide an overview of the ac- _ _ _ _-_ _ ~,w.. _ - tivities in the Village during 2005. This report is not inclusive of aN activities but highlights the initiatives and activities per- '~s' formed b.' members of the Department of Public Safety that have made a ~ignilicant impact for the residents in the Village of North Palm Beach. - ~ t : Department command staff personnel will always be available to s discuss in cletail any concerns that are not addressed in this - ~ report. ' ~ t ~ r ;vtission Statement: + . - W'e, the North Palm Beach Public Safety Department, are cony j milted to providing the hiehcst quality of public safrt~~ sen~ices 't'"`- by maintaining rc,pcct tux indi~ ideal rights and human dignity and by empowerin~z our members and the community to work in partnership ith the goal of impro~ mg the quality of life ~+•ithin our conununit~. t,,~ - _ - -- Transitional Issues: a In November ?tlt1~, ChiefJinum Knight +~as hired to ser~•e as the Director ol~ Public Safety o~erseeinr; both Police Sen ices and F-ire Rescue in the Village of North Palm Beach. ~ ~ 'z. Chief Knight has brought to the 1!illage progressi~~e Public 4 ~ Safety sen ice spanning o~ er 27 years with abalance of achninis- ~ -. 9t ~ trance. in~esti~~ative and tactical licld command experience. ~ < An assessment of both the administrative and operational poll- - - - -- .-"- -! ties and goals ol'the Department ~~•as immediately conducted. ~ 1 The Deparunent of Public Safety organisational structure was ~ .- ~- realigned with greater emphasis on accountability. Patrol shifts were act-jested eliminating the practice of "scheduled" overtime. ~ Minimum staf7in~, procedures ~~rre established for both Police ~ " " rr*~ ~ and Piro Rescue sere ices. A realignment ol~duties and responsi- _ biliues achie~ ed autonomy between the respecti~•e professional ~ disciplines. ~ _ ~-~•'~" _ _ _ f~ ' .F=,. The Palm Beach County Level of Service requirement was ~ _ achieved durin~~ this pericxl almost two years earlier than re- _ _ quired, throu~~h partnerships' with Palm Beach Gardens and County Fire. Level of Seri ice has brought with it "Automatic Aid" with our paru~ered agencies, interoperability on an 1;00 ~1Hi radio system and emergency medical dispatch (EiVID}. The \orth Sub-Station project has progressed with land acquisi- tion adjacent to the Benjamin School property. Request for pro- posals (RIP) to identify contractors have been published and Federal grant applications submitted. This project should see :round breakine in late 200G. Community Involvement: The Village of North Palm Beach Department of Public Safety believes strongly in working closely with the community in order to ascertain and meet their needs. The Department has identified all existing neighborhood groups and worked diligently to form neighborhood associations where there were none. To date, one hundred and three (103) homeowner and Neighborhood Watch associations throughout the Village have been formed and a liaison with them has been created. The Department maintains a list of all meeting dates and has created a policy requiring department personnel to attend alt neighborhood meetings. In addition to attending neighborhood meetings, the Department has been involved in numerous community-based programs. The Department has also been involved with all Village schools both private and public by attending PTA/PTO meetings, D.A.R.E. graduations and other school functions. The below list of community based initiatives along with a brief description is provided for review, it is just a few of the programs currently in place here in the Village of North Palm Beach. . ~ ~r kL ~ {~s ~..~1`~ " z~ 8'.~ ` 3 .ter' -~_ - s.., Rl's~ CRIME PREVENTION PROGRAMS: BEACON LIGHT: The North Palm number, is placed on the bicycle that will Department of Public Safety offers our identify the owner. residents the Emergency Beacon Light. The Emergency Beacon Aids Emergency Response Personnel in locating your home. CASH FOR YOUR CLASS: North Palm The light is a standard 60 watts bulb that Beach Department of Public Safety recycles blinks when activated. empty ink jet and laser printer cartridges for cash which is then donated to North Palm Beach Elementary School. BICYCLES DONATED TO NEEDY CHILDREN: The North Palm Beach Department of Public Safety collects C.A.T. Program: The "Combat Auto unwanted bicycles that will be then donated Theft" program is utilized to fight back to needy children. The bikes are presented against auto theft. Upon registration with to children whose families cannot afford to proof of vehicle ownership and drivers purchase a bike for their youngster. license, the vehicle owner signs a consent form authorizing North Palm Beach Police Officers to conduct a traffic stop on their BICYCLE REGISTRATION: vehicle if their vehicle is being operated This program involves juveniles and adults between the hours of 1:OOam and 5:OOam. registering their bicycles with the Village of A yellow C.A.T. sticker is placed on the North Palm Beach Department of Public owner's rear windshield notifying Officers of Safety, via the bicycle serial number, to participation in this program. assist Officers in reducing the number of bicycles stolen and to help identify stolen bicycles. A sticker, with a corresponding C"l l.t. PI[ON1•a 1"O tiI:NtURS I'RO(iR,'1M: ~ ~ Olliccrs will provide intpurlant tips on dour the IhparUnent collect, cell phones, which lucks, alarm systy:nts, lighting, landscapinc, arc then passed out kt senior eitiicns through- ~ ~ f and other area. that may help prevent heeom- uut the: urea liar cmcr~acncy usr. ~ ing :t vitaim. 4, C'kl!\d[: 1'Ell:\'I:N"CION COA1\dI tNi1 ~ tit I\1\1F.It C.'11v11' 1'~1R'I I1'IC:\"I 1<)N: (hu• i\•11=.1-:I IN(iti: !rained t'uhlic tiali`ty Ihpart- f OIliccrs Visit summer camps throughout our Wool OIlieet~ conduct crime Itreventiun meta- ~ { community. Children arc laugh! about Strang- in~~s in conununities and discuss what pruh- ur l burger, I I I:ntergcncy Calls, 13icyclc tents may he uccun•ing and ways to help unr tialia}', and other themes that enable our chil- anuthcr combat crime. 1-his is un open dia- _ dren to he sale :Ind tlt rrhlCCl tht;[II Ir<~Itl hat"m. locue Metyveen :tlt parties invoh•cd !iodine su- lutiuns to issues. -~- ,i " I t [1•; C'L1I13" (i1Vl•;.n\1~i\Yti: In response to _ ; ;tn area ha~'iug an au[o crime problem, the I.XI'l.OItl~at PRO(ilt~\?Vt:This prugrutt is lily ~ ~ e - Nuhlie tialiay Ihpartntent yvill provide ""I•he individuals between the ages ul' 1=1 to 12:. I he t.t•~- Club" giveaways to ~>ta~ncrs ul~~ehtcles, in the participants will he intruduccd lu tlu many ~'r F ~ target area, llrrt arc owners ufonc ul~ the "I"U I' tuceis ul' Iaw entitrcentent and cntergency sec- -~° I l) stolen cehiclcs in uur county. " I he C'luh" is ~-ices. I he I :xplorers truck hand and hand with ~ _ - + ~ ;ut anti-auto then device that lucks the steerin~~ OIlicers and assist in the cumnuutity pulicin_~ wheel deterring ollcnders li'um attempting to philosophy. 1 his program is direetctl towards stud a vchick. individuals tvho are intrrestcd in Iaw cnli~rcc- ` ntent anti want to learn about the respunsihili- ~ ' " t -* I Itl•:Sl':\~~ PIZO(i[tt\11: Villucc u1~Nurth tics entailed. !loch 1•:~;plorcr must meet certain I'ulm 13eaeh I)epartntent ul' I'uhlic Barely "Nu reduirentents hclix•e being accepted iota the ' ltrspassinz'~ signs arc placed un buildings in progrant• I visible locations uuthuriiin~~ OIlicers to act as agents liar the building utvncrs and giving O1= (il tN f .OCKS: North Palm Beach I)clrtrl- !leers the authority lu reduest a person(s) to ntcnt oC I'uhlic Salty encourages sale Butt ~ vacate the premises. OIl leers must ndvisc the storage in homes to prevent the likelihood oh y person(s) that litihu'c to !cave the area Wray u•u~~ie accidents. A locking device, when in- 4~ result in arrest. 7'he owner. prior to being pro- stallctl un lireann and securer! by a key ur vidcd trespass signs lily his building, mull sign comhinaUun lock, prevents the ~.!un I"rom hcin~' an allidavit gig ing consent lin• Oflicer, to act diseharcetl tvithnut lust renuivin~~ the tlet ice. , V__.~_•__- as an aLent. North palm 13eaeh Puliee Ihpartntent hands out I I21:1~: gun hicks to anyone utvning a can. ~',I.N. I~: I C'I IIN(i; this program is an anti-auto crimr initiati~c whcrr; thy; vchiclc itientitica- O1'Llt~\'I•ION C'fill,l :(>peraliun Chill is a prci- -' lion number is etched into various parts ul~the gram in conjunction with ? I :Ieven anti the • _ vehicle such as all windows and doors. "phis North 1'ulm Beach I)eparunent ol'1'uhlic ~ trill assist OIliecrs in idcntilying vchiclc parts tialcty. North Palm !leach 1'ulicc Ulliccrs I'" ~- "~;~-~~ • i%t,a'~_ that may he stolen and.'ur placed unto another hand; out I KI:I: "~lut~~ce" coupons to those ,,~1i vehicle. I-his prugrarn may also help deter ve- rhildren a~caring their bicycle helntetsl hir~lc parts thelt and auto thclls in general as the perpeuatur may observe the V.1 V. nwtt- S.'\I I. l l'.<\\\':\1tI NI~:SS I'IZO(iRi\~'1: We hers displayed thruuc~huut the vchiclc and busted several special Suli:ty :lwarcness I'ru- choose trot to steal the vchiclc. crams liu uur residents which included topics on ses ullcnders, intet•net saliav, crime trend, r: \VO1tKI:ItS ON \1%A•fC•11 (\\'.U.\1'.): •I his pro- . and hurricane preparatiutt. ~~-; - cram encourages the many employees ol'the Village to renwin vi4~ilanl and inuttctliately SI:('l?RII'1'Sl1(tVl:\'Si llO1~•tl:r\Nl) 131'SI- _ rt ..E~„ report all suspicious activity to law entitrre- NI:Sti: tipeeially trained Village uf'Nurth Palm ~ mcnt. 11te program is a cuoperativc c1'lin-t he- 13eaeh I)eparuttent ol~l'uhlic Safely Ulliccrs - ~kQ ttvecn the I)cpartmcnt ol'I'uhlie Sufi;ty untl the ulli;r free residential and business security stn'- ,,- ~ other entities within the Village to prevent vet's ut lessen the chancy: ul'a break-in to your ~ crime and assist with duality of lire issues. residence ur business. ' Crime Initiatives: The Department has made a tremendous impact on the amount of crime in the Village of North Palm Beach during calendar year 2005. Due to the efforts of our hard working Officers and in partnership with the community, crime has been reduced by 19.1 % compared to 2004. This is especially significant as the areas to our South (Lake Park) and West (Palm Beach Gardens) posted an increase in crime of 26.2% and 16.7% respectively according to the Semi-Annual UCR report. The Village of North Palm Beach Public Safety Department works hard at identifying and effectively responding to criminal activity within the Village. This is evidenced by the excellent results we have obtained during this period. The following are graphs reflecting the impact on crime in the Village. Burglaries -The burglaries in the Village have been reduced by 8.9% in year 2005 compared to that of 2004 from 101 to 92 incidents. The clearance rate for this crime has increased from 3.9% to 25.0% during this same time period. 2005 2004 BURGLARIES TOTAL CLEARED BURGLARIES TOTAL CLEARED BURGLARY-BUSINESS 32 3 BURGLARY-BUSINESS 32 0 BURGLARY-RESIDENCE 60 20 BURGLARY-RESIDENCE 69 4 Grand Total 92 23 Grand Total 101 4 25.0% 3.9% Larcenies -The larcenies in the Village have been reduced by 21.1 % in year 2005 compared to that of 2004 from 249 to 189 incidents. The clearance rate for this crime has increased from 6.0% to 11.1 % during this same time period. 2005 2004 LARCENIES TOTAL CLEARED LARCENIES TOTAL CLEARED THEFT-GRAND 81 7 THEFT-GRAND 114 5 THEFT-PETIT 108 14 THEFT-PETIT 135 10 Grand Total 189 21 Grand Total 249 15 11.1 % 6.0% Robbery -The robberies in the Village were reduced by only one incident however Bank Robberies were not as prevalent as years past. Clearance rates for this crime category decreased slightly in year 2005. 2005 2004 ROBBERIES TOTAL CLEARED ROBBERIES TOTAL CLEARED BUSINESS 4 1 BUSINESS 2 BANK 1 BANK 3 1 RESIDENTIAL 1 1 RESIDENTIAL 1 OTHER 6 OTHER 7 2 Grand Total 12 2 Grand Total 13 3 16.6% 23.1 Auto Crimes -The auto crimes (auto theft, burglary conveyance) in the Village have been reduced by 27.5% in year 2005 compared to that of 2004 from 120 to 87 incidents. The clearance rate for this crime has increased from 10.0% to 17.2% during this same time period. 2005 2004 AUTO CRIMES TOTAL CLEARED AUTO CRIMES TOTAL CLEARED MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT 31 7 MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT 32 7 BURGLARY CONVEYANCE 56 8 BURGLARY CONVEYANCE 88 5 Grand Total 87 15 Grand Total 120 12 17.2% 10.0% Crime Incidents 2004 v. 2005 250 200 150 0 2004 100 ¦ 2005 50 0 - _ . _ _ _ -,-------- -, ~ Burglary Auto Crimes Larcenies Robberies Crime Clearances in the Village have increased by 114% from that of the previous year. 20.8% of the overall crime incidents were cleared in 2005 compared to 9.7% in year 2004. The Village crime clearance rate exceeds that of both the Palm Beach County and State of Florida average. Arrest Statistics The Department has made a total of 302 arrests in year 2005 compared to 250 arrests for the same period last year. This is a 20.8% increase in arrests during this time frame. Arrests 2004 V. 2005 350 300 250 200 150 900 50 0 - 2004 2005 ¦ Arrests 250 302 Traffic Safely: One of the primary objectives for the Department is to provide safe streets to the Village's residents. This is accomplished through aggressive traffic enforcement, the use of deterrents and by educating the drivers in our Village. To achieve accident reduction and increase safety compliance, our crime analysts monitor the time and location of traffic crashes in order to target specific areas or intersections for enforcement and educational programs. The Village has hosted and participated in several traffic enforcement "blitzes" through the cooperative efforts of N.A.M.A.C. These traffic blitzes target "problematic" roadways and/or intersections with saturation enforcement with the hopes of educating the motoring public. The Village also participated in several DUI checkpoints and seat belt education/enforcement campaigns. Traffic Citation Issuance in 2005 is up by 85.4% from that of the previous year. During this period 4,718 traffic citations were issued compared to 2,545 issued in year 2004. It is the policy and belief of your current Administration that "safety" not revenue will always drive our enforcement initiatives. r~ • FIRE RESCUE ~ ~ ~ , t 4 The Fire Rescue Division went through a number of changes in 2005. h~ -~ ~ lc~i fact, the name Fire Rescue is itself a change. The Public Safety Depart- ~ ~ ~ = tc3~ ment had functioned for years under three Divisions: Police, Fire and ,-,~tiY c~' EMS. In a move to reorganize the DeparUnent, Fire and EMS were ~ merged into Fire Rescue. : , • ~ h This merger brings the department in line with the operational methods ~ ~ of the modern fire service. In order to provide a higher level ofservice to <y , the residents and guests of the Village, the Fire Rescue Division now ~ staffs athree-person Advanced Life Support En~,ine and atwo-person ~ ~ ~ Advanced Life Support Ambulance as the daily minimum. This allows a ' five-person stat~to respond to all emergencies and, if the ambulance is ~ '~h "-, 1 - ~ transporting a patient to the hospital (they transport all Basic Life Sup- port and Advanced Life Support patients} the Engine is still available to ~ respond to a second call for help. -this merger also brought a realignment of our chain of command. The ~ ~~-•;~; Fire Chief heads this merged Division and the former EMS Manager is - now titled as the Assistant (Fire Chief. "The "Team Leaders have been re- - - _ designated as Fire Rescue Lieutenants. These are more accurate descrip- tions oftheir job responsibilities and align their job titles with the other area departments. ~ ~ ~ . , •A- All ofthese changes work hand-in-hand with the Countywide Fire Level -~ ~ ; - of Sen•ice Standard. Near year's end an agreement vas signed between - ~ i~~ ~ the ~~illage, Palm Beach Gardens and Palm Beach County establishing "~-~-~ ~ '`-'" r,, y- : ~ ~ boundaries iur automatic aid and included provisions fvr common dis-~ ~ ~t' ; patch through Palm Beach County. 1~'hat this means on a day-to-clay , , t ~ ~ basis is more efficient use of the employees' time..Along with emergency ~ ~ +x: ~ ~'"k,"~ response, Fire Rescue personnel have responsibilities fir fire inspec- :.r lions, pre-tire planning, public education and training. In 2005, fire in- ~ 1 spections increased by 1 ~47°ro and training hours increased ~0°,'o while re- , ~ ` ~ ~ ~ - • spouse time to emergencies decreased by 22 seconds. ' . Not e~-erything has changed. \~olunteers are still an integral part of the operation. In 2005, eighteen volunteers provided over 2600 hours of sta- w`- -~~ tion time and still managed to assist with the Annual Safety Fair, Holid,n_ -,~ " ~r-~' Boat Parade. Fourth of.luly, Heritage Day and other activities too nu- ~ ~ . mcrous to mention. ~ -` ~ 4 '~l: _ 'c i 2004 V. 2005 Fire Rescue Responses ~ooo soo soo aoo 200 o ~ ~ --- -,- -~ -~^ ~ Structure Vehicle Other Fire False Smoke Vehicle Medical Hazardous Fire Fire Alarm Scare Crash Material ? 2004 ¦ 2005 2005 Fire Rescue Calls for Service 0 00 0 N ~O ~ 0 r 0 N a _ V`>' ~ 0 tD ? Structure Fire ¦ Vehicle Fire ? Other Fire ? False Alarm ¦ Smoke Scare ? Vehicle Crash ¦ Medical ? Hazardous Material Special Events and Natural Disaster(s): This "Year End" report would not be complete without mentioning those events that had the greatest impact on both Departmental and Village resources during calendar year 2005. We again experienced firsthand the wrath of "mother nature" with the arrival of hurricanes Katrina and Wilma. On Tuesday August 23~d Tropical Storm #12 /Hurricane Katrina came upon the Florida east coast very rapidly and necessitated swift and deliberate action. The Public Safety Department immediately began preparations in accordance with the established Village of North Palm Beach, 2005/2006 Hurricane Plan. Subsequent to the initial Watch and through the storms progression to Hurricane status, all Village Departments worked in collaboration in preparing both personnel and Village assets for the impending storm. All established Protocols were followed with one major incident. The Generator "switching panel" at Public Safety exploded and caught fire upon the scheduled "Load" test. The damage was catastrophic and the power to the building was completely disrupted. The battery back-up supply provided for dispatch and 911 service for approximately 90 minutes. All emergency and administrative telephone lines along with dispatch had to be rerouted to Palm Beach Gardens until power could be restored to the building. The storm exhibited uncharacteristic patterns with the most severe weather being on the southeast quadrant of the storm. The storm's projected path was to be westerly with a slight northern movement with landfall near the Broward /Palm Beach County line. As we know the storm came ashore at points just south of this projection and moved west southwest. This change in direction and location of the severe weather made for a relatively uneventful incident here in North Palm Beach. On Saturday October 22"d a Hurricane Watch was issued for Hurricane Wilma, and the Public Safety Department, once again immediately began preparations in accordance with the Village of North Palm Beach 2005/2006 Hurricane Plan. Emergency personnel were brought into headquarters to ride the storm out in the Village. Immediately following the storm's passage, Public Safety personnel participated with other Village employees in an Initial Damage Assessment and clearance of debris from Village roads, both of which were completed before nightfall. The E.O.C. remained operational and adequate personnel remained on duty to provide extra security during the curfew that had been established, in addition to handling normal police, fire and emergency medical service duties and until power was completely restored in the Village. Three curfew arrests were made and Fire/Rescue ran a total of 73 calls during the period between October 23~d and 31St Summarv~ The Village of North Palm Beach Public Safety Department has made a tremendous impact in the Village of North Palm Beach during this reporting year (2005). The Crime Analysis process utilized by the Department has proven to be an effective tool in addressing crime issues. Although areas surrounding the Village have posted crime rate increases during this period, your Department of Public Safety has reduced crime by 19.1% in the Village compared to last year. This is being accomplished utilizing the same number of officers and personnel as last year. These Officers now work harder, smarter, and have taken ownership in their assigned communities. The Village's Fire Rescue Division remains one of the best outfitted and staffed agencies within Palm Beach County. All Fire Rescue personnel have attained the necessary Federal NIMS/ICS certifications almost a year earlier than required. The Fire Rescue Division was awarded the RFSI Life Safety Achievement Award during 2005. The professional commitment exhibited by both our career and volunteer Firefighters is second to none. Response times continue to be well below the County's acceptable "response time" which is currently eight (8) minutes. In fact, the Village's Fire Rescue response time average is just four minutes and twenty-three seconds (4.23) almost half the time! A big reason for the successes we have experienced in the Village is our partnerships with the communities that have developed during this year. Through this partnership, we meet on a regular basis, determine the community needs, and provide an effective response to community issues. This is just a beginning of a long-term relationship the Department of Public Safety hopes to have with Village residents. We look forward to continually providing highly effective and professional public safety services to the residents of the Village of North Palm Beach.