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Community to Meet Newly Elected Commissioner and Learn About City Services

The Fort Lauderdale Police Department’s Community Support Division will host a Haitian Community Town Hall Meeting on Thursday, May 15 from 7pm to 9 pm at Bethel Baptist Church, 1121 NW 8 Avenue.

The Fort Lauderdale Police Department and the Florida Department of Children and Families Refugee Services have joined together to strengthen ties between the police and Haitian residents. Topics will include police and government relations, City services and social services that affect the Haitian Community. The meeting will be conducted in both English and Creole.

Special guest speakers will include newly elected Fort Lauderdale Commissioner Dean Trantalis, City Manager Floyd Johnson, Police Chief Bruce Roberts, Parks and Recreation Department Director Ernest Burkeen and other community leaders.

Representatives from a number of social service agencies will be available including Women in Distress, Legal Aid of Broward County, Minority Development and Empowerment, Catholic Charities, Florida Department of Financial Services.

For more information, please contact the Haitian Hotline at (954) 828-3336.

Haitian Partnership Meeting

On April 22nd the Community Support Division hosted a meeting consisting of leaders from the Haitian Community. The meeting was designed to share ideas and continued support of our growing Haitian Community. Participants were given an update on programs being conducted under the Haitian Refugee Victimization Grant. The primary objective of the meeting was to promote outreach efforts and increase participation from the Haitian Community. Some of the agencies attending the meeting were: Legal Aid of Broward County, Women in Distress, Broward County Community Action Agency and Broward County Refugee Services. In addition, community leaders gave their input and suggestions for our next Haitian Town Hall Meeting scheduled for Thursday, May 15th. We promote these meetings so that we can continue to successfully make our communities safer.

PERSONNEL

Component One Officers continue to work the 13th Street Action Plan. The following are some of the statistics contributed by Component One: eight investigative stops, seven traffic citations, six arrests, eight bicycles seized, and 10 bicycle citations.

Component One also red tagged four vehicles. The owners of the vehicles complied; therefore, no vehicles were towed. Remember, vehicles with no tags, flat tires, or on concrete blocks are considered derelict and will be red tagged. If you see vehicles in your areas that are derelict, please call Officer Charles Studders at (954) 828-6416.

Fort Lauderdale residents should be aware of City Ordinance 26-183, which requires all residents to register their bicycles with the Police Department. The purpose of the ordinance is to minimize the number of bicycle thefts in the City and to provide a means of locating the owner when a bicycle is recovered.

Do not be a victim; register your bike. Bring your bicycle, identification, and one dollar to the Community Support Division, 533 NE 13 Street. You must be an adult to register a bicycle.

Component One continues to participate in Middle River Terrace’s weekly crime walks and bicycle rides. The bicycle rides were changed from every Wednesday night to every Tuesday night at 8:00pm. The crime walks are every Friday night at 7:30pm. Participants for both events meet at the Middle River Terrace Park, 1401 Dixie Highway.

If you own property in the area and would like to file a trespass affidavit, please contact Officer Charles Studders at (954) 828-6416. An affidavit allows police officers to ask undesirables to leave your property. If they refuse to comply they are subject to arrest.

Eleven properties in the area were referred to Code Enforcement. Four of the properties refused to comply and were summoned to appear in court.

Officer Martinez met with the manager of Walgreen’s, 1030 NE 15 Avenue, regarding juveniles loitering in the area and committing thefts. The juveniles were identified and issued trespass warnings. Three of the juveniles were issued civil citations for possession of tobacco products while under age. The citations require the juveniles to appear in court with their parents. It should be noted that this group is the same juveniles that were throwing rocks at vehicles in the 1200 block of NE 16 Avenue.

At the last homeowners’ meeting, residents identified two houses that were possible drug houses. Officer Martinez has monitored the homes. Although no drug activity was noted, he will continue to monitor the area.

On Friday, April 11th, Officer Martinez attended the 13th Street Business Association meeting. The meeting was designed to showcase the sculptures being considered for placement on NE 13 Street. The pieces are large stone statues that the association wants to place at the east and west ends of 13 Street. This is part of the street and median beautification project along 13 Street.

No homeowners’ meeting was scheduled for the month of April. The next meeting will be held on Thursday, May 15th.

Although street prostitution continues to be a concern for the Flagler Heights residents, there has been a reduction in street prostitution activity. Component One and the Special Investigations Division (SID) continue to work on a permanent solution to the problem. On April 30th, CSD officers and SID conducted a Prostitution Enforcement Team Operation (P.E.T.) throughout the City and two prostitution arrests were made in the Flagler Heights area.

Component One wrote 10 traffic citations, four bicycle citations, and seized two non-registered bicycles. Thirty investigative stops have been made and three code violations were documented and forwarded to Code Enforcement.

If you see suspicious activity, please report it. Your information can lead to the successful prosecution of an offender and the resolution of a problem. Officer Galt can be reached at (954) 828-6414.

Officer Galt continues to work an action plan that addresses derelict and abandoned vehicles in Flagler Heights. To date, 24 vehicles were red tagged. Sixteen of the vehicle owners complied and two of the vehicles were towed. If you see derelict vehicles in the area, please call Officer Glen Galt at (954) 828-6416.

Northside Elementary School invited PSA Laura Gerity and Pattie Dube to participate in their annual Kids Safety Festival on April 5, 2003. The PSAs distributed pamphlets and coloring books covering a variety of safety issues including: home safety, bicycle safety, water safety, and stranger danger. Parents and other caregivers were instructed on how to fingerprint their children using children identification kits.

Coral Ridge Homeowners Association hosted a neighborhood picnic on Saturday, April 27, 2003. PSAs Leslie Fass and Terry Bryant attended the event. They informed residents of the Police Department’s Bicycle Registration Program and 12 bicycles were registered. The attendees were also provided information on the many community programs hosted by the Community Support Division such as the Community Police Academy.

PERSONNEL

Sergeant Harvey Jacques 828-6412 South Middle River Officer Brian Kaplan 828-6405 Sailboat Bend Officer Jamie Costas 828-6405 Dorsey Riverbend Officer Jamie Costas 828-6405 Durrs Officer Rosalind Wilson 828-6406 PSA Pati Dube 828-6402 Crime Prevention Detective Nate Jackson 828-6422

Officer Brian Kaplan successfully completed his quality of life action plan for the 1300 to 1700 block of NW 8 Avenue. During the past year, Officer Kaplan red tagged 141 derelict vehicles, towed 41 derelict vehicles, recovered two stolen vehicles and two stolen tags, registered 15 bicycles, filed 10 new trespass affidavits and addressed code issues at three residences that were occupied without running water. In addition, hundreds of flyers were distributed in English and Creole educating residents on visible code violations in their area.

Officer Kaplan and Officer Jaime Costas conducted a clean-up action plan on April 18th. They utilized the Fort Lauderdale Police Department’s Trustee Program to clean-up targeted areas in the South Middle River. Some of the target areas included the 1000 block of NW 6 Avenue and the 1400 block of NW 8 Avenue. Many of the residents were pleased with the clean up and felt it was a success.

Before

After

Officer Kaplan attended South Middle River’s monthly crime walk on April 25th. Over 30 residents and three police officers participated. As they walked, many of the residents cheered and joined their group. As a reminder, the crime walks are scheduled for the last Friday of each month and everyone is welcome to join. For more information regarding the walk scheduled for May 30th, please contact Carmen Smith at 954-524-9498 or by e-mail at Carmen@smrca.com.

Officer Costas attended the April homeowners’ meeting. There were no specific issues or complaints reported. Officer Costas initiated two action plans that address Code issues and debris surrounding the businesses at 1605 NW 6 Street and 1621 NW 6 Street.

Officer Costas made two felony narcotics arrests, issued ten traffic citations and red tagged seven vehicles in an effort to improve the area’s quality of life.

Officer Costas attended April’s homeowners’ meeting and no police concerns were discussed.

Officer Costas continues to maintain a presence in the Sailboat Bend area. He wrote 14 traffic citations and red-tagged three derelict vehicles. Officer Costas also closed the action plan that addressed raw sewage in the Sailboat Bend area. He also initiated an action plan in the downtown district that addresses under age drinking.

Mount Bethel Ministries and the United Way have formed a coalition of stakeholders to combat Substance Abuse in Central Broward County. Mount Bethel Ministries elected Officer Galt to the Coalition. The Coalition’s goal is to combine resources and knowledge of the problem in an effort to alleviate substance abuse in our community. The first community forum was held on April 24th at the Mizell Center, 1409 NW 6 Street. If you have any questions regarding the Coalition or you are interested in joining, please call Officer Galt at (954) 828-6414.

PERSONNEL

Sergeant Mike DiMaggio 828-6430 Patrol Officers Melrose Manors Officer Mike Pasker 828-6409 Sunset Civic Officer Wayne Swenson 828-6409 Riverside Park< Officer Steve Scelfo 828-6409 Riverland Officer Wayne Swenson 828-6409   PSA Laura Todaro 828-6402   Narcotics K-9 Officer Jon Appel Narcotics K-9 "Iris" 828-6415 Officer Paul Ostrikis Narcotics K-9 "Kelly" 828-6415     Alarm Specialist Evelyn Moran 828-5476

Components One, Two and Three were assigned to the Fort Lauderdale Beach the first two weeks of April to assist District III with Spring Break. The additional police presence provided residents, business owners and thousands of tourists an extra sense of security. For more information, please note District III’s article.

April was a big month for the Riverside Park residents. Construction of the new Riverside Park Pavilion is underway and residents’ expectations for the new park are high.

Residents at April’s homeowners’ meeting were concerned with drivers running the stop sign at SW 7 Street and SW 14 Terrace. Officer Scelfo responded to their complaint by monitoring the area and issuing 25 citations. As a result, there has been a reduction in the number of violators. Additionally, Officer Scelfo made three felony narcotics arrests, red tagged 50 derelict vehicles and towed five vehicles for non-compliance. Every vehicle is required to have a current registration and be in good working condition. Inoperable or unregistered vehicles will be red-tagged. Residents are reminded that the City can assess fines of up to $500.00 per day if a derelict vehicle is parked on private property.

PERSONNEL

Sergeant Anthony Williams 828-6420 Sunrise Middle Officer Robert Bolden 828-6408 Officer Art Jones 828-6408 Dillard High Officer Jeff Alexander 797-4800 Fort Lauderdale High Officer Charles Livingston 765-6921 Stranahan High Officer Dennis Nelson 765-6893 JAM Project Officer Pete Balcunas 847-3434 D.A.R.E. Officer Mary Gillis 828-6408 D.A.R.E. Officer Clay Barrett 828-6408 D.A.R.E. Officer Duval Madrigal 828-6408 D.A.R.E. Officer Rick Temple 828-6408 D.A.R.E. Officer Ivory Nelson 828-6408 Truancy Unit Officer Bill Jacobsen 828-6400 New River Middle Officer Mike Tucker 828-6408

Nothing this month

District I
Major Mary Schertler (954) 828-5479
Captain Kevin Sheehan (954) 828-5484 Shift 1	Captain David Geyer (954) 828-5483 Shift 2	Captain Ralph Nelson (954) 828-6650 Shift 3

While the disaster at Columbine slowly fades from public memory, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department is taking steps to enhance their response to school incidents in order to reduce the threat of violence affecting any of our children. “The quickest way to the heart of a community is through its children” asserts Captain Dave Geyer, the facilitator of this program. “We have a legal and moral obligation to make school campuses in our city as safe as possible”, Geyer states.

Captain Geyer, the District 1 day shift commander, has instituted a “School Liaison Officer” program with the ten public and private schools in District 1. Patterned after a program instituted several years ago by Major Robert Pusins, patrol officers assigned to specific areas will have the responsibility of coordinating police response to schools in the event of any incident. The “School Liaison Officer” program instituted by Major Pusins years ago was abolished after School Resource Officers were assigned to elementary schools. The School Resource Officers assigned to elementary schools however, cover more than one school and rotate coverage. Further, the school resource officers did not cover any of the private schools in the city. Because of these factors, Captain Geyer thought it important to assign a patrol officer to each of the ten public and private schools in District 1. The officer will familiarize himself/herself with physical layout of the school, and develop a relationship with the school staff. The officers will serve two functions; first, they will be the critical link between the school and the police department in the event of a school-based incident. The officer can respond and coordinate further police response and other emergency responses. Secondly, through his/her familiarity with the school staff, other police services can be provided on a routine basis (traffic assistance and monitoring, crime prevention and public relations).

The “School Liaison Officer” program will augment plans already in use by the school board and the Fort Lauderdale SWAT team. Captain Geyer believes that the School Liaison Officer program will create a police services-delivery “safety net”, to make sure that police services to our schools will be of the highest quality without being duplicitous. The program, if successful, may be extended to other districts in the city.

District II
Major Bob Montagano (954) 828-5481
Captain Lee Spector (954) 828-5484 Shift 1	Captain David Ecklund (954) 828-6649 Shift 2	Captain Steve Kinsey (954) 828-5703 Shift 3

The supervisors, officers, public safety aides and parking enforcement specialists assigned to the District II, have continued to focus their efforts on reducing Part 1 crimes and during the first three months of 2003, have responded to 15,279 calls for police service, issued 4,144 traffic citations and made 1,948 arrests.

In April 2003, Officers Clark, Coffin, Wood and Vasi were recognized for their part in achieving the overall goals of the Operations Bureau and have been commended for a job well done.

District III
Major Sharon Andersen (954) 828-5480
Captain Kevin Sheehan (954) 828-5484 Shift 1	Captain Charmaine Gittens-Jacques (954) 828-5482 Shift 2	Captain Raul Diaz (954) 828-5625 Shift 3

The Fort Lauderdale Police Department again addressed our annual Spring Break from March 9th through April 21st, 2003. This six-week period was longer than usual due to college vacations starting early and Easter Sunday occurring so late in the year. And again this year, the Community Support Division was called upon to assist the Beach Special Problems Units (SPU) with the influx of visitors.

The spring break assignment involved officers from the Motor Unit and the various district Components rotating coverage weekly to address the six-week time frame. When combining the Beach SPU with the officers assigned to the Spring Break function, a total of 8-10 officers on weekdays and 12-14 officers on Fridays and Saturdays were on the beach between 7:00 pm and 4:00 am.

During the six-week period, there were no substantial increases in Part One crimes. Robberies, vehicle thefts and vehicle burglaries increased only slightly this year in comparison to 2002 and is reflective of the criminal element being drawn to the area as the tourist population increased. Weeks two and three saw a substantial crowd arrive for the period. This crowd was substantially more than 2002 for this two-week period. However, the remainder of the time frame saw crowds substantially smaller than 2002. There was no identifiable causal factor for the significantly smaller crowds overall this year.

During week three, State Beverage Agents conducted underage alcohol possession/consumption enforcement along A1A’s entertainment area. Agents entered Club Atlantis, 219 S. A1A, during a “hot body” contest. Subsequently a female contestant was observed exposing herself and two patrons under 21 were found consuming alcohol. The manager, the contestant and those caught consuming alcohol were all issued NTA’s by state agents. During week six, a CSD officer conducted a traffic stop at A1A and ELO. During the subsequent investigation, both the driver and passenger were placed under arrest. An inventory search of the vehicle resulted in the confiscation of a loaded handgun under the drivers seat. During week five, a handicapped 17-year-old female was coerced into leaving Blondie’s, 229 S. A1A, by an unknown male. The female was later located and had been sexually assaulted by the male. Subsequent investigation resulted in the arrest of the culprit. Howard Johnson’s, 700 North Atlantic, was a location for frequent problems in 2002. An SPU officer was assigned to conduct frequent checks of the establishment and assist management in the policing of their business. No substantial problems occurred at Howard Johnson’s this year. Week six had a noticeable increase in the presence of juveniles due to the local schools being out on Spring Break. Consequently, week six had a slight increase in disturbances, fights and related juvenile activity.

The spring break detail consisted of a total of 1824 officer hours. The assignment could not have been completed successfully without the assistance, cooperation and teamwork exhibited by Motors, CSD and SPU. All are commended for a job well done.

If you want a code inspector to investigate an illegal dumping site or a bulk trash violation, please call Community Inspections at 828-5207. To address trash on City property, or to find out what your bulk trash pick up days are, you can call the City of Fort Lauderdale Public Services Department at 828-8000. Please help us to keep Fort Lauderdale clean!

To report a problem area in your neighborhood, send the following info to the Community Support Division. Remember, be specific with the information that you provide so that we may take the appropriate actions. Send info to: Community Support Division, 533 NE 13th Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304. Or e-mail us with the following information:

Address:
Business Name(& Type):
Problem Observed:
Date:

PSAs Bryant and Todaro-Gerity are assisting Code Enforcement in their efforts to reduce the number of derelict vehicle violations throughout the City. These are quality-of-life issues which devalue the neighborhood as well as present safety hazards.

To report graffiti, contact the graffiti hotline at 828-6402. Or, click here to send an e-mail to PSA Teresa Bryant.

Bicycles can be registered at the following locations:

Community Support Division Center 533 NE 13th Street Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304 Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Snyder Park 2800 S.W. 8th Avenue Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304 Wednesday and Sunday 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. By appointment only! Please call first 954-828-4585

Contact PSA Bryant if you would like to schedule bicycle registrations during a community event.

Call 463-BIKE for more information.

Demonstration Center
Project Director Alesia Russell (954) 828-6433
Training Coordinator Rosa Vazquez (954) 828-6428	Community Information Specialist Blanca Alvarez (954) 828-6429
Volunteer Coordinator (954) 828-6432	Records Clerk Treciann Collman (954) 828-6431

New Employees	Anniversaries	Transfers
Officer Jose Diaz Officer Cynthia Maiorano Officer Jorge Menchaca Officer Joshua Mijal Officer Mark Small Officer David Soika	Officer Keith Kotrady 30 years Officer Michael Daniels 25 years Officer Michael Kridos 25 years	Officer Sabrina Byer from Detention to Operations Patrol Officer Alec Lassman from Patrol Dist 3/Shift 3 to Dist 2/Shift 1 Francine Bellows Parking Enforcement Specialist from SSB/ISD/Records Shift 2 to Patrol Dist 2 Shift 3 Clorenzo Griffin Detention Officer from Shift 1 to Shift 2 Officer Benjamin Dusenbery from Patrol Dist 2/Shift 2 to Dist 2/Shift 2 PSA Kim Rhodes from Recruiting to Dist 1 Shift 2 Sergeant Anthony Williams from Community Support Division to Accreditations

The Community Support Center offers various events such as workshops, training classes and community forums. The Center is also available to the community as a meeting place. Some of the courses that are offered to civilians and law enforcement personnel are outlined below.

License Plate Theft Prevention Program, Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, while supplies last, at the Fort Lauderdale Police Department Community Support Division, 533 NE 13 Street. The Fort Lauderdale Police Department is distributing, free of charge, special screws that are created to prevent the theft of license plates. The screws are affixed with a regular screwdriver, but can only be removed with a special tool held by the Police Department. For information, call 954-828-6400.

Landlord/Tenant Training, Wednesdays, May 21, June 18, and July 16, 2003, 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm, at the Fort Lauderdale Police Department Community Support Division - Training Room, 533 NE 13 Street. Topics include keeping illegal activity out of your property, screening applicants, the Federal Fair Housing Act, Section 8 Housing and more. Certificates of attendance will be issued upon completion of the course. The workshop is open to all interested. Captain Kiley and Sergeant Kridos of the Fort Lauderdale Police Department will be presenting the class. Call (954) 828-6428 for more information and to register.

Escape School, With the recent nationally publicized child abductions throughout the United States, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department is taking preventative action by providing a free safety education program for parents and children regarding abductions. Escape School is an hour-long presentation that teaches participants to trust their instincts, how to differentiate between good and bad strangers, what to do if confronted with an abductor (e.g. run, scream, disable car), and how to get people involved in their rescue. The program consists of video and role-playing exercises with the instructor, children and parents. Bob Stuber, a former California police officer, created Escape School. Dignity Memorial Funeral Providers provides this free class to the public. The class will be held Thursday, May 22, 2003, at City Hall’s Commission Chambers, 100 North Andrews Avenue, 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. Please call (954) 828-6429 for more information and registration.

19th Community Police Academy, Wednesdays, February 19 through May 21, 2003, 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm. This 14-week program is offered to residents of the City of Fort Lauderdale, civic and government organizations members. The academy is designed to foster active partnership with the community. Topics addressed include Community Policing, Officer Selection/Recruiting, Drug Enforcement, Special Investigations, Range/Firearms, Detention Tour, Communications and more. In addition to the scheduled classes, an eight-hour “ride along” with Patrol Officers will be made available to the attendees. For more information and for applications please call (954) 828-6428. You may also download an application from the Fort Lauderdale Police website.

Project Ecstasy Workshops, The Fort Lauderdale Police Department in collaboration with Precise Protection Inc. and Project Ecstasy have developed FREE training classes to continue fighting the battle against club drug use, which include ecstasy, marijuana, and cocaine. These club drugs are mainly seen at RAVE parties. Register today to attend all, or some, of the classes by calling 954-828-6428. The classes and dates are as follows:

• Demand, Fuel to the Drug Problem May 5, 2003
• Drug Misinformation May 19, 2003
• Drug Cultures May 26, 2003
• The Internet, Good and Bad June 2, 2003
• Marketing and Glorification of Drugs June 9, 2003
• To Legalize or Not June 16, 2003
• Today's Drug Problem June 19, 2003
• Date Rape Drugs June 23, 2003
• Club Drugs June 30, 2003
• Drugs and Their Effects July 7, 2003
• Marijuana, Friend or Foe July 14, 2003

Classes are from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm at Community Support Division’s Training Room, 533 NE 13 Street.

GUNS & HOSES Charity Basketball Game, Saturday, June 7, 2003, 1:30pm, at Fort Lauderdale High School’s Gym, 1600 NE 4 Avenue. Come and cheer for your favorite team as Fort Lauderdale’s Police and Fire Rescue face off against each other for charity. Tickets for admission are $10 each and the purchase automatically enters you into a raffle of over 20 prizes. Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the American Cancer Society. For more information and to purchase tickets please call (954) 828-4663.

Donations can be made in cash or check. Checks should be made payable to American Cancer Society.

***ALL WORKSHOPS ARE FREE OF CHARGE***

Briefing Room