Avoiding Auto Theft Smash-and-Grab

Many thefts are crimes of opportunity. By keeping your car doors locked and removing valuables, you are doing your part in helping to avoid becoming a victim of theft.

Many times car burglars are after your stereo, GPS system or other loose belongings you’ve left in your car – like a cell phone, iPod or even your wallet, purse, laptop or garage door opener that you’ve left in plain sight.

Car burglaries can be expensive, from the cost of repairs to replacing your belongings. And they can leave you feeling victimized, too. You can minimize the likelihood you’ll fall prey to a costly car burglary by simply locking your car and not leaving valuables in them when parked. Leaving your key on the dash or in the ignition is an invitation to a car burglar. And keep in mind that if you have a great hiding place for a spare key, a thief has thought of it, too.

Your POA, Wackenhut and the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department encourage you to reduce the number of thefts from vehicles by following these simple rules – and by being Car Smart..

You can see the most recent Wackenhut Safety brochure by clicking here.

Security Manager’s Report – September 2009

It has come to my attention that a number of “white collar” scams are being used by diverse criminal organizations, not only in our immediate area, but throughout the country.

I belong to a local professional organization comprised of directors of security as well as local law enforcement officials. The goal is an exchange of information to allow everyone to perform their duties with as much information at their fingertips as possible to do this efficiently. Meetings are held every month to keep abreast of the latest crime trends, what is being done to combat them and any new ideas members might have on the subject. This formal organization also fosters additional communication in between formal gatherings concerning information distributed in real time that might help prevent illegal activities at other sites. We are appraised on thefts, burglaries, suspect/vehicle descriptions and modus operandi from other communities that are forwarded in hopes they may be prevented elsewhere and also shed light, if apprehensions can be made, on earlier reported crimes. Information sent can also be in the form of scams currently making the rounds in hopes that greater awareness will translate to less victims. Two such scams are currently making the rounds and definitely bear being brought to the attention of PGA National residents.

The first you may find almost unbelievable, I know I did. I can only tell you this, while not proven beyond a shadow of a doubt by this writer, it comes from an extremely credible source within the intelligence community who has the proper connections that could verify the accuracy of this account. It is very simple. You get a phone call from an area code 809, 274 or 876. A message is left telling you to call back. That voice mail concerns the death, illness or arrest of a relative, or that you have won a prize. When you return the call you will get a recorded message keeping you on the line as long as possible. This is because they are charging you up to $2425.00 per minute. No, this is not a misprint. It is a foreign company set up in the Dominican Republic. Currently, there are no regulations capping what a foreign company can charge per minute. My source told me this was verified by the local phone company, AT&T and snoops.com. It seems neither phone carrier want to become involved because the call was actually placed from here to one of the area codes. That is the key to this scam; we place the call. I am sure, with all the area codes now out there, there are new and ingenious scams being dreamed up as this is written. We all have to be very, very circumspect when it comes to any kind of public communication. I know I will be.

The second scam is more straight forward and plays on the underlying honesty and willingness to cooperate with authorities. A phone call is received by a person identifying themselves as a governmental employee. The reason given for the call is that the recipient of the call has failed to respond to a jury summons and a warrant is being issued for his/her arrest. Of course, the person called protests saying they never received a summons and there must be some mistake. At that point the caller states that possibly this can be straightened out without an arrest but that further information will be needed, such as their date of birth and social security number. If this is obtained by the caller, the recipient has just become the subject of identity theft. This scam has been reported, so far, in 11 states. No governmental agency, will, out of the blue, be asking for these types of identification. As a general rule, give out no personal information. If they have legitimate business, know who you are, shouldn’t they already have it? The same must be said for any unsolicited phone call whether in person or by message. Verify everything and avoid the nightmares later.

C.A.N. Report – September 2009

LOOKING FOR YOU
It is again almost time for the PGA POA Nominating Committee to start hunting down qualified candidates for the POA Board of Governors. The annual meeting will be held in January but the meeting notice must be mailed in December. This means candidates need to submit a letter requesting consideration NOW. If you feel that the Board and the residents of PGA National will benefit from your experiences, drop a quick note to my attention at the POA and I’ll be sure the Nominating Committee receives it.

DID YOU SEE THE PICTURES?
Hope you were able to stop by Masters Park last month for “National Night Out Against Crime”. There are a number of photos in this issue so you can see the fun we had. The Palm Beach Gardens Police Department did a great job with this event. Thank you to the residents of PGA National who stopped by to meet the police representatives. The POA gave out whistles (with apologies to everyone who is now hard of hearing), badges, rubber duckies dressed as police and firemen, and they coordinated the games.

A number of little police officers (with their own badges) had their picture taken with McGruff the Crime Dog. A real live K-9 demonstration and the SWAT Team equipment tour were two impressive exhibits/demonstrations. Of course all those pretty motorcycles were there too and there was even an old City of Palm Beach Gardens Police car parked in contrast to all the new “high-tech” vehicles and equipment. I think everyone under the age of 15 (and a few where were considerably older) won a stuffed animal at the games tent.

A very special THANK YOU to the Afton family of PGA National who own Dairy Belle Ice Cream in Riviera Beach (on Blue Heron/Broadway). They supplied “Superman” ice cream cones to everyone (great colors….great taste!) Cool refreshment at a cool event!

I’LL HUFF AND I’LL PUFF…..
Well, you know the rest and since it is now September, we are in the middle of storm season (sorry, still can’t use the “H” word!). By now you should have plenty of bottled water, batteries and canned foods on hand “just in case”. Trees should also be trimmed and whatever you do, don’t wait to trim the trees until a watch is issued or the debris is likely to do more damage than anything else. As I mentioned last month, “hat racking” is prohibited at any time. For more information on preparing your home and family, go to www.pga-poa.com and you’ll find a heading on the right side of the screen. Don’t forget: if you want to install shutters on your windows, you need the prior approval of the POA Architectural Review Committee.

SCHOOL AND WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU
By the time you read this, school will be in session. This means the young people of PGA sitting and standing by the road waiting for a bus. Unfortunately, it also means they are there in the dark in some cases! Because of the October time change, it is going to be even harder to see them so start practicing now: SLOW DOWN! The MAXIMUM speed limit in PGA National is 35 mph. The general consensus is that it is “those people” (you know, my favorite expression……not) who are speeding but the FACT is that most of the people stopped for speeding in PGA National live here!

For parents who drive their children to and from bus stops: do not block intersections or park in areas that will obstruct the vision of others trying to enter/exit the community. Preston is the most critical example: cars traveling north and south on Ryder Cup Blvd cannot see cars entering/exiting the Preston community until it is almost too late which is one reason why the speed limit along this stretch is 25 mph. Do NOT park along the driveway or across the end of the median by Ryder Cup Blvd or you will cause an accident. For those who park in Villas of Burwick (along Tournament) the HOA has requested the bus stop be moved because parents are tearing up the grass, blocking driveways, etc. Please be considerate of others.

DOGS AND ALLIGATORS
There has been at least one instance recently of an alligator eating a dog (yes, I AM deadly serious). With condolences to the owner of the dog, I would like to remind everyone that alligators can and will go after dogs! Allowing your dog out without being on a leash is not only against the rules, it may very well be fatal. Also, if you like to walk your dog along the edge of the water I suggest you select a different route. Although it isn’t a case of alligators jumping out of the water every few minutes, it does happen and you should use caution! A few months ago I reminded everyone of their aggression during mating season. The other problem is people feeding them because they think it is “neat” to see them sunning themselves on the bank. Do not feed any wildlife!

On a separate dog note, I have been impressed with the number of residents that I now see cleaning up after their pets – and I thank you. More importantly, my shoes and my co-workers thank you!

Unfortunately, there are still quite a few residents who either allow their dog(s) to run free or just don’t pick up after them. Please be a responsible pet owner and a courteous neighbor – clean up after your dog; keep them on a leash; don’t leave them unattended and/or allow them to bark incessantly.

FINAL REMINDER
Don’t say I didn’t warn you about the fact I am going to mention this in every article: ARTISTS AND CRAFTERS ARE NEEDED! PGA POA is holding the 4th Annual Art Festival and Craft Fair in Masters Park on December 12. If you “dabble” in crafts, love to paint, knit, or make “things” be sure to apply for this event. The TOTAL cost is only $40.00 (which pays for advertising) and it is a great way to sell your items – not to mention it is lots of fun! I promise that you will make the $40.00 back the day of the event – last year the wind was blowing and it was only 45 degrees and all the artists/crafters did well despite it all Check out the info at www.pga-poa.com or call me at 627-2800