Earlier
this week Police Chief Luis Cabrera, Commander Nick Wollschlager, Chuck Ross
and I met to review the 2018 semi-annual crime report statistics. We also
discussed some other issues to include methods to enhance the interaction
between our Police Force and our Crime Watch with the intent to restore quicker
communications to our residents, as we had benefited from in the past. The
point being that delayed reporting defeats the very purpose of Crime Watch-
which is to alert the resident members and to utilize the networks eyes and
ears to potentially assist in gathering information as it is happening.
In my opinion Chief Cabrera clearly understands the need to
get the verified and proper information to Crime Watch as soon as is possible.
Chief Cabrera has offered “his 200%” effort regarding total transparency and
cooperation towards this goal. I find his enthusiasm compelling and can relay
that new programs and institutional improvements are on the way.
In other words, more to follow.
In other words, more to follow.
So, without further delay, let’s now review the numbers.
Property Offenses 2017 2018 (Jan.- June)
Total
Index Offenses
57 45 -21.1%
Burglary 10 14 +40.0%
Larceny 35 26 -25.7%
Larceny is a
broad category that covers various methods of theft as well as amounts. For
instance, Vehicle Burglaries in which a vehicle is entered whether unlocked or
not and nothing is taken is categorized here.
Motor
Vehicle Theft 6 2 -66.7%
Clearance
Rate for Index 22.8 13.3
-41.5%
Other Offenses
Simple
Assault
2 4 +100.0%
Arrests
Burglary 7 1
-85.7%
Larceny 2 2 0.0%
Motor
Vehicle Theft 3 0 -100.0%
Total Arrests 31 13 -58.1%
Stolen/Recovered Property
Total
stolen property $159,848 $81,408 -49.1%
Total
recovered property $183,000 $70,000 -61.7%
Okay- so these are the main categories
that affect us. For anyone interested in seeing any other crime categories, I
suggest you visit the Village website as they are listed there in full.
A Message from Chief Luis Cabrera:
Reviewing the 2018 Uniform Crime Report Mid-Year
statistics, there are key areas I feel are important to note as benchmarks of
success. The Village of Biscayne Park continues to remain low
in Part I violent crimes due to the continued vigilance of our officers
patrolling the streets and keeping them safe. The sustained growth of our
Reserve Officer Program continues to supply additional police services to the
community at no added salary costs and is currently operating at 18 officers.
There
was a slight rise in burglaries during this time frame; however we are still
trending below the 2017 year-end total of 26. Additionally, we have instituted
several initiatives that have been successful. A few examples of our
initiatives are as follows: Zone Integrity Patrolling was created to assure
better accountability of area patrolling, the use of directed patrol to address
specific concerns, we have also created a Village Resource Officer position to
better inform the community in safety concerns and guide the public in crime
prevention. We are also adding 4 part time officers for visibility patrolling and directed patrolling. This year has shown a reduction in motor vehicle theft as well as
overall larcenies (including vehicle burglaries). When all factors are taken
into account, there has been a 21% reduction in the Total Crime Offense Index.
We anticipate these numbers to stay low with the assistance of our residents
continuing to lock their vehicles and being vigilant about not leaving keys
readily accessible.
Traffic
concerns continue to be a top priority of the department and our officers work
tirelessly to keep the streets safe for pedestrians and motorists alike. The
Village continues to undergo efforts such as changing out signage that is vague
or faded to allow for enforcement of no median parking properly and fairly. The
Village has also reposted several No Thru Trucks as well as Share the Road
signs in key locations. Additionally, we have expanded the pilot program
Motorcycle Unit to be a full time patrol.
We
look forward to continuing to grow our partnership with the community in an
effort to keep Biscayne Park a place you proudly call home.
For
any specific questions, I would suggest to contact our police department
directly.
Standing
Watch,
Milton
Hunter
The
Biscayne Parker
