Community Safety – March 2009
January 23, 2009 by Tom Hartog
Filed under Security Managers Report
The New Year started a little rocky at PGA National with four vehicle burglaries and one burglary to a business. Now for the good news: Palm Beach Gardens Police arrested a suspect, who was eventually linked to several vehicle burglaries and one home burglary.
In 2008, PGA National experienced an overall reduction in major crime by 16% according to statistics provided by Palm Beach Gardens Police. This makes the 3rd consecutive year that crime is down. This is not a very reassuring statistic if you were one of the unfortunate victims of a crime, but it does show that we as a community are on the right track.
During his presentation at the Annual Meeting, Chief Stepp of the Palm Beach Gardens Police made an interesting statement in regards to vehicle burglaries – of which PGA National has experienced 21. Vehicle burglary is one of the most preventable crimes you as a resident can fall victim to.
By doing two simple things, you can greatly reduce your odds of having your vehicle burglarized. One, lock your vehicle’s doors. I have preached this practice in meetings and you have probably read it more than once in my past articles. Second, do not leave valuables in your vehicle in plain sight.
As Director of Security for PGA National, I take all crime that occurs in PGA National very seriously. When I hear that our major crime is down by 16%, I feel proud of all of the hard work my security staff puts forth throughout the year. I will continue to work with my staff to ensure we are doing everything in our ability to make this a safe environment for you and your family.
In closing, please remember, you can have a substantial effect on crime by simply getting in the habit of locking your car doors when you arrive home and when you leave, making sure you have properly secured your home and set your alarm.
I am optimistic about 2009 and we, as your security provider, will continue to do our best to make sure your community is a safe one.
C.A.N. Report – February 2009
January 23, 2009 by Dawn Levinstein
Filed under Property Managers Report
PGA POA BOARD OF GOVERNORS ELECTION RESULTS
This was the closest election I’ve seen in the eleven years I’ve been at PGA National so a thank you to all candidates is in order, as well as to the Nominating Committee for finding such great candidates!
Congratulations to Herb Andrew and Jeanne Larsen on their election and to Bob Brown and Bob Hodgson on their re-election to the PGA POA Board of Governors.
Although the officers of the corporation have not yet been elected, the POA Board members include (in alphabetical order): Herb Andrew, Bob Brown, Mike Engelsher, Bob Hodgson, Jack Hughes, Ralph Infanti, Jeanne Larsen, Don Paulus and Phil Slifka.
GATES, RENTERS AND NEW CARS
You have probably noticed the guard writing down information when a car goes through the resident lane and the gate doesn’t open. This is not only to inconvenience those who should NOT be using that lane (with the hope that next time they will go through the correct lane which is faster) but also so that this office can then research the problem if there IS a bar code on the car and the gate doesn’t open.
As a result of this study, we have found a number of factors that each of you needs to be aware of and only you can help us correct:
- If you got a new car (or changed cars) or for any reason you tried to remove the bar code and re-stick it on another vehicle (or even the same vehicle), it will not work. If it works at all, it will either be intermittent or will quit working so PLEASE COME TO THE POA OFFICE AND GET A NEW BAR CODE. Remember to bring a photo I.D. and the vehicle registration or short-term lease (if it is a rental).
- If you are a TENANT (Renter) and perhaps you had a bar code put on your vehicle the last time you rented in PGA, IT WILL NOT WORK NOW (even if you rent the same property every year!). All renters’ bar codes are set to ‘turn off” as of the date of the lease expiration.
- This also means if you have renewed or extended your initial lease, you need to notify the POA office and provide us with a copy of the renewal or extension so we can reactivate the bar code.
- If you have a bar code sticker for another community and an additional PGA National bar code, they will conflict if they are close together or on the same window. Please stop by the POA office so we can put a new bar code on which is not as close to the other community’s bar code.
- Finally, if your bar code is old (ie: it looks dirty and ‘brittle’ or has chips around the edges) or if it has been on the car for more than ten years (such as many of the Championship/Eagleton owners) and the bar code works at the Championship gate but not the others, you need to come by the POA office for a new bar code. The POA readers are VERY sensitive and if there is any damage (a mark through the lines on the bar code, chips, etc) the reader will not scan properly and the gate will not open.
HONDA CLASSIC
Next month is the Honda Classic at PGA National. There is still time TO CLEAN UP YOUR PROPERTY FOR THE TELEVISION CAMERAS!!! At the risk of sounding like a comedian who is doing his famous “You Might Be A Redneck If… jokes, here are some clues:
- If your roof is black and you bought gray (or white!) tiles, it might just need to be cleaned (ya think?).
- If you have big gaps in the hedges or your green grass is now full of weeds or is a sick yellow color, it might just need fertilizer.
- If you walk to the mailbox and no longer have to open the door of the box because it is missing, you might need a new mailbox.
Well, you get the point….Please remember that painting, re-landscaping or other exterior changes requires prior approval from the POA Architectural Review Committee. If you have any question as to whether or not you need approval, please call JoAnn at 627-2800
As of this writing, we don’t yet have the schedule of events (check TV Channel 63 in PGA National) but they will probably have fireworks scheduled again for one night. Last year we received calls from owners of pets who get very upset over the noise (the pets were upset over the noise, not the owners) so if you have a pet that hates ‘the bad boomies” please watch for the fireworks date in next month’s article or on Channel 63.
SECURITY
Please see the Wackenhut Security report from Tom Hartog in this issue but in summary, I wanted to remind all residents keep their car and house locked. Do not leave personal property in your car within view. We have had property stolen from unlocked cars and have had two house break-ins (although the suspect was arrested).
Please also be aware that a number of break-ins occur during the day since there are generally a lot of contractors, landscapers and others walking around. It is very easy to enter an unlocked house or watch an owner leave a garage door open while they walk their dog. The person can get in , take cash and other small valuables and be one before you even realize they were in the house. If you see ANYTHING suspicious, please call Wackenhut at 627-1600 or call the Palm Beach Gardens police.
Before closing, I will suggest that all residents look into glass break sensors or at the very least motion sensors. Most home alarm system have a little magnetic device on the window FRAME and if the glass is broken to gain entry (but the door or window isn’t opened by the frame) the alarm will NOT be activated unless the thief goes past a motion detector or the owner has a glass break sensor. Many owners with pets don’t activate (or don’t have) motion sensors so an inexpensive glass break sensor is the way to go. Contact your alarm company for further information.
New ARC Schedule for 2009
January 3, 2009 by Michael Engelsher
Filed under Featured Articles
Beginning May, 2009, the PGA POA ARC (Architectural Review Committee) will meet once per month to review applications. If the number of applications warrants a special meeting between the regularly scheduled meeting, the ARC will go back to the twice per month schedule.
At present the tentative 2009 schedule is as follows:
| Jan 15 (note: Jan 1 is a holiday so there will only be one meeting in January) |
| Feb 5 & 19 |
| Mar 5 & 19 |
| April 2 & 16 |
| May 21 |
| June 18 |
| July 16 |
| Aug 20 |
| Sept 17 |
| Oct 15 |
| Nov 19 |
| Dec 17 |
Access Control
January 2, 2009 by Michael Engelsher
Filed under Featured Articles
The four main gates into PGA National are now access controlled. These are the gates located on Ryder Cup at Northlake Blvd and at PGA Blvd; and on Avenue of the Champions at Tournament Blvd and at Avenue of the Masters. The RESIDENT’S lane is bar code activated 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. If you do not have a PGA Barcode, the Resident’s gate will not open.
Traffic entering via the VISITOR’S lane will be allowed access, without delay (after coming to a complete stop at the gate) between the hours of 6:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. Access control procedures go into effect at 9:00 p.m. and if the PGA resident has not notified the gate that they are expecting a guest, the guard will call the owner before allowing the guest/visitor entry into PGA National. Owners/Renters who live in The Island or Preston must also call their guardhouse for their community and follow the usual access control procedures for their gate. Owners/Renters in the Eagleton/Championship communities have full 24 hour access control at their community gate. By contacting the POA, all data automatically transfers to the Eagleton/Championship gate. The PGA POA Bar code opens the Eagleton/Championship gate only if you live in that community. Residents of all other communities (such as The Island , Marlwood, etc) who have a PGA bar code cannot access the Eagleton/Championship subdivision.
Every owner and authorized renter has an “access code” that allows them to call the automated number to authorize guests. The code should not be given to anyone except the PGA National guards who use it to validate and identify the owner when they come home in someone else’s car without a bar code.
Exit gates are installed at each of the four main PGA National entry points. The exit gates are also activated from 9:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. to prevent vehicles from entering PGA National via the exit lanes. All drivers leaving PGA between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. should come to a complete stop at the exit gate and allow the gate to open. ALL GATES CLOSE BETWEEN EACH VEHICLE; PGA POA AND ITS AGENTS AND CONTRACTORS ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR VEHICLE DAMAGE FROM GATES.
Complete information on the gate operation is available at the PGA POA office.
Community Safety – January 2009
January 2, 2009 by Tom Hartog
Filed under Security Managers Report
I would like to start by wishing every resident a Happy New Year and I am looking forward to
another great year at PGA National. While the final community statistics have not been
compiled (as of this writing), every indication is that major residential crime is down. To
date, PGA National has experienced eight home burglaries, down four from last year (I
am knocking on wood as I type).
The evening gate closure, which began on April 15, 2008, has given security the
opportunity to strengthen the security posture of PGA National. For the last several
months, the gate officers have been hard at work monitoring the resident bar code lane, in
attempt to stop unauthorized vehicles from using that lane. This serves two purposes: to
make your entry as a resident as smooth as possible, and to let others know we are
watching.
Just recently, I received a bulletin from The Palm Beach Gardens Police Department. A
group of burglary suspects are working the immediate area and as far south as Boca
Raton. Their method of operation is eerily similar to that of the “Gypsy Burglary
Suspects” which plagued PGA National back in 2001 – 2002.
These suspects generally strike during the afternoon hours. The men of the group will
drive the vehicle and act as a look out, while their female counterparts break into the
homes. Usually the females will go to the rear of a home and use a screwdriver to shatter
the sliding glass door. They go to the master bedroom / bath and take jewelry and cash.
In most cases, the female will knock on the front door before going to the back of the
home. They do this to ensure the house is empty. If a resident does come to the door the
female will make up some excuse (i.e. I’m lost, I have the wrong address, etc.). If you
encounter a situation like this, immediately report it to security.
As a PGA National resident, you must be ever vigilant. Whenever you leave your home
– no matter for how long – always lock yours doors and set your alarm. You may also
want to contact your alarm provider and inquire about upgrades to your system such as
motion detectors and glass break sensors.
I was the director of security back in 2001 – 2002, and I can say from first hand
experience, these types of criminals can do a lot of damage in a very short time. While
the true number of homes burglarized by them could never be discerned, I would venture
a guess of 60 plus.
On January 26, 2002, Wackenhut was instrumental in the apprehension of two Gypsy
Burglary Suspects. While in route to an alarm, Captain Art Dickens spotted the suspects
exiting Grand Cay. Our dispatcher contacted Palm Beach Gardens Police and the two
suspects were apprehended at Shoppes on the Green. If that homeowner had chosen not
to set his alarm that day, it would have been just another successful home burglary.
In closing, my staff and I look would like to thank you for your continued support and we
look forward to another successful year at PGA National.