Item 8I~.
AGENDA ITEM #SI
JANUARY 9, 2006
STAFF REPORT
City of Atlantic Beach
Commission Meeting
AGENDA ITEM: Options for Public Park Security
DATE: December 27, 2005
SUBMITTED BY: David E. Thompson, Chief of Police/DPS
Timmy Johnson, Pazks and Recreation Director
BACKGROUND:
At the November 14, 2005 City Commission Meeting, staff was directed to provide additional
information relative to reasonable options available for addressing security in the public pazks,
~'" especially Tide Views Preserve. City staff members have researched this matter through a variety
of resources including personal interviews and evaluations made on site by a Jacksonville
Sheriff's Office Parks Specialist, numerous Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design
~• (OPTED) Publications, and discussions with other Park/Security Specialist azound the country.
This staff report is intended to provide a list of options, including a brief review of the security
~„ mechanisms that are often used for these purposes. We are also providing a list of the police
incidents that have occurred in Tide Views Preserve since it opened (see attachment # 1).
Option #1: Do not make major changes, and continue to utilize existing resources. This is
always an option.
Option #2: OPTED: Learn and apply Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design
"' principles, and make reasonable modifications fo the existing park. This may include adding
lighting, adding more public access, encouraging more public use, cutting back foliage, and other
modifications to discourage unwanted behavior. Jacksonville has trained their Pazks and
'~" Recreation Staff in these principles and they coordinate with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office to
evaluate and address each public park.
~• Option #3: Citizen GroupsNolunteers: Encourage the development of groups/volunteers to
adopt a park or pazks, and to "patrol" the parks frequently and report suspicious behavior to the
police.
Option #4: Usage: Increase pazk use: Staff has already engaged in a number of initiatives to
increase the park usage, primarily through advertising canoe launches, docks, environmental
~ education, etc. It may be necessary to make additions/modifications, possibly adding vending
machines, kiosks, and other amenities, to attract more people to the park.
Options #5: Add surveillance equipment/cameras to monitor park activities from remote
~""' locations or to record activities in the park. Initially, a pole could be erected and a camera
installed in the parking lot area of Tide Views Preserve. Jacksonville is already using cameras in
their pazks, and we could probably purchase and install a camera for about $5,000.
~,.
Option #6: Add Parks and Recreation Staff, and assign them to spend more time in the parks,
to remain visible, and to discourage inappropriate behavior.
,~
Option #7: Add Police staff to specifically spend time in the parks and concentrate on
~„ security issues.
AGENDA ITEM #8I
JANUARY 9, 2006
Option #S: Add fencing around park to restrict access to the park from unauthorized people
~ at inappropriate times. Currently, the park can be easily accessed from numerous directions, even
when the park is closed.
Option #9: Provide housing for a police officer to live in or adjacent to the pazk, and provide
""" incentives for officers to live there. There are approximately 34 parks in Jacksonville where
police/con ections or other officers reside at a residence in the park.
Option #10: Combine any number of these options.
These are some of the most common mechanisms for dealing with security problems in public
~• parks. Each option has costs and benefits associate with it.
Previously, staff suggested building a house near the park for a police officer to live in (Option
,,, #9). This has been a very effective mechanism for crime prevention in public parks throughout
the country, and it would probably be very effective at Tide Views Preserve. However, it is also
the most expensive and intrusive option.
The staff recommendation in this report is to start the implementation of the options that are the
least expensive and the least controversial, and to monitor the criminal activity. If these options
are effective, then the costs and the disruption to the park area will be minimal. If these options
~'" do not produce the desired results, then the more expensive options can be implemented in the
future.
~'" BUDGET: Options #2 CPTED, #3 Citizen GroupslVolunteers, and #4 Usage can be initiated
without additional funding. However, once the specific recommendations for implementation aze
identified, there may be costs associated with them.
Option #5 Surveillance Cameras will require approximately $5,000 for the camera and
installation. In addition, there will be costs to erect a "pole" on which to mount the camera.
There will also be maintenance costs for the equipment, ongoing costs for removing/replacing the
recorded disks, and manpower costs to review the recordings. Initially, we expect the costs to run
approximately $7,000 to initiate this option.
RECOMMENDATIONS: We recommend implementing Options 2, 3, 4 and 5. After
implementation, the criminal activity will be monitored to determine if additional options aze
necessary.
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ATTACHMENTS: List of criminaUsuspicious activity at ide Views Preserve
'" REVIEWED BY CITY MANAGER:
ITEM NUMBER:
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AGENDA ITEM #8I
JANUARY 9, 2006
Tide Views Preserve Police History
Injury to
Approximate Dates Incident Random Victim? a
2001 Stolen Trees and Landsca in No
2001 Bur la to Buildin and Extensive Criminal Mischief No
28-Mar-01 Armed Robbe Hooker and John No
22-Apr-02 Repeated Brush Fire in Tide Views Park _ No
Late 2002 Repeated Brush Fire in Tide Views Park No
13-Nov-02 Arrest of Jeffe Williams for Possession Mari'uana and Sus DL No
13-Nov-02 Traffic Citation Issued No
20-Dec-02 Traffic Citation Issued No
26-Jun-03 Stron Armed Robbe of Cit Em to ee Yes
15-Sep-03 Arrest of Carol Urban for Possession of Oven Container No
_ _ 15-Sep-03 Arrest of Thomas Ekmann for Possession of Ooen Container No
10-A r-04 Arrest of Diana D uardia for Possession of Crack Cocaine No
10-A r-04 Arrest of Collins Alfred for Possession of Crack Cocaine No
10-A r-04 Arrest of Kenneth Lemaster for Possession of Crack Cocaine No
Unk 2004 Arrest of Sus ect in Domestic Batte Case No
20 Au -04 Arrest of Melanie Batchelor for Active Warrant No
27 Au -04 Arrest of Eric Nelson for Drinkin in Public No
22-Se -04 Field Intelli ence Re ort of Sus icious Activ' No
3-Nov-04 Arrest: Michael Roberts for Tres assin After Hours No
3-Nov-05 Arrest: Tamm Lam for Tres assin After Hours No
2-Mar-05 Citation issued No
Armed Robbery, Agg Assault, Kidnapping, Sexual Battery (victims
arranged to meet suspects during early morning hours re drugs,
18-A r-05 d s, and money No