statistics - News - The Coastal Star2024-03-29T01:30:19Zhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/statisticsOnline Exclusive: Homicide puts focus on frequency of domestic abuse of older womenhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/online-exclusive-homicide-puts-focus-on-frequency-of-domestic-abu2023-10-03T14:33:16.000Z2023-10-03T14:33:16.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p><strong>By Jane Musgrave</strong></p>
<p>When Jennifer Rey heard that Delray Beach police in July were trying to find out who shot a woman, dismembered her body and stuffed it into suitcases, she immediately suspected a husband or a lover.</p>
<p>“My gut reaction was this was a domestic,” said Rey, chief program officer at the Palm Beach County chapter of Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse. “Domestic murders are very violent.”</p>
<p>Others, who have spent decades analyzing what drives otherwise law-abiding people to kill, agreed that the level of brutality signaled that the woman’s assailant was someone who knew her well.</p>
<p>“The chopping her up,” said Palm Beach Gardens forensic psychologist Adam White. “This shows the perpetrator was very angry and hated the person. It’s a symbolic way of showing hatred.”</p>
<p>Ultimately surprising were the ages of those involved. </p>
<p>While an artist rendering of the victim depicted a woman between the ages of 35 and 55, police eventually identified her as 80-year-old Aydil Barbosa Fontes. Her husband of two decades, 78-year-old William Lowe, was charged with the murder. </p>
<p>Lowe was indicted after police found blood in the condo the couple shared just blocks from the ocean and on a chainsaw they discovered in a storage unit Lowe rented. He has pleaded not guilty.</p>
<p>Murders among the elderly are rare. Of the roughly 16,500 people who were murdered nationwide in 2021, only 1,250 were over the age of 65, according to numbers compiled by Statista.</p>
<p>Although research is ongoing, studies have shown that many elderly murder victims are women and their assailants are people who are known to them, often their longtime partners.</p>
<p>“For many older women, the latter stages of their life are not the golden years,” Canadian researcher Myrna Dawson wrote in a 2021 paper. “Instead many older women’s lives are rife with abuse and violence which sometimes ends in their deaths.”</p>
<p>Further, the notion that elderly women are killed by loving husbands who simply want to end their suffering is simply wrong, said Donna Cohen, professor emeritus of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of South Florida.</p>
<p>Her research showed that men are almost always the perpetrators. She also found that in most cases there was no suicide pact and no evidence that the woman wanted to die. They were not “mercy” killings.</p>
<p>“Homicide-suicides in older people are not acts of altruism,” she wrote. “They are acts of depression and desperation.”</p>
<p>There is nothing about Barbosa Fontes’ killing that resembles a murder-suicide, White said.</p>
<p>Rather than a crime of desperation, it was meticulously planned, he said. After Barbosa Fontes was shot and dismembered, her body parts were stuffed into suitcases and thrown into the Intracoastal Waterway, where they were discovered by passersby.</p>
<p>Clearly, her assailant didn’t want to get caught, White said. </p>
<p>Lowe’s former attorney said it appeared Lowe suffers from mental health problems that may have stemmed from his service in the Marines during the Vietnam War. </p>
<p>Lowe, who owned an auto parts store in Kentucky before moving to Delray Beach, qualified for a state program that allows veterans who are permanently and totally disabled to avoid paying property taxes. Lowe, who shows no signs of a physical disability, was also involved in Delray’s alcohol recovery community.</p>
<p>Little is known about his relationship with his wife. Neighbors told police they didn’t know the couple well. Barbosa Fontes owned two rental units in Pompano Beach. A tenant, who saw her shortly before her death, said she seemed healthy — both mentally and physically.</p>
<p>Delray Beach police said their officers had not been summoned to the couple’s home in the two years before Barbosa Fontes’ death. Lowe has never before been charged with a crime, according to records in Palm Beach County and Kentucky. White said neither is unusual.</p>
<p>But, he said, regardless of any claims of mental woes, the careful planning of Barbosa Fontes’ murder would likely thwart any efforts to mount an insanity defense:</p>
<p>Whoever killed Barbosa Fontes knew what he was doing was wrong and tried to hide it. </p>
<p>Rey, who has spent more than two decades working with victims of intimate partner violence, said Barbosa Fontes’ slaying confirms an ugly truth: “Domestic violence can and does happen to people of any age group.”</p>
<p>For years, health experts have warned that women are at risk from men they know. Noting that 38% of all women globally who were slain were killed by their intimate partners and many more sustained life-altering injuries, the World Health Organization in 2013 declared violence against women a serious public health problem.</p>
<p>But, despite its declaration and a call to action, little has changed.</p>
<p>According to a 2022 report by the Violence Policy Center, 89% of U.S. women who were murdered in 2020 were killed by men they knew and 60% died at the hands of intimate partners. Eight times as many women were killed by men they knew rather than by strangers, it found in its annual report, “When Men Murder Women.”</p>
<p>The vast majority of victims of domestic violence are women of child-bearing age and they are most often shot to death.</p>
<p>But less research has been done into domestic violence among the elderly. With the elderly population skyrocketing as the last of the Baby Boomers reach retirement age, researchers such as Dawson and others say more study is needed.</p>
<p>Dr. D’Andrea Joseph, chief of acute care surgery and trauma at NYU School of Medicine, said the information would help doctors identify elderly abuse and help those who are suffering.</p>
<p>“Intimate partner violence in the abuse of elderly and vulnerable adults is common in the United States but often remains undetected,” she wrote in 2019, pushing for a sweeping study to identify warning signs.</p>
<p>Many elderly women are loath to report abuse. ElderSafe, a Washington, D.C., organization that provides shelter for elderly abuse victims, estimated that just one out of every 23 battered seniors seeks help. By comparison, overall, about 50% of domestic violence cases nationally aren’t reported.</p>
<p>Researchers suggest that an elderly woman who is financially dependent on her husband feels trapped. Her age or health problems make it impossible for her to find a job to support herself.</p>
<p>She is less likely to be able to defend herself if she is attacked. She also may have grown up believing she couldn’t and shouldn’t talk to anyone about violence inflicted on her by her husband. She may worry what friends and family will think.</p>
<p>Rey said younger women fall silent for similar reasons. Financial dependence, children, religious beliefs, family support and peer pressure are all part of the mix.</p>
<p>But, she said, fear is always the driver. “I’ll kill you if you leave me,” is a constant threat.</p>
<p>And the threat isn’t an idle one. Roughly 75% of women are killed after they leave or attempt to leave their abusers, Rey said.</p>
<p>“It’s a very dangerous time,” she said. “People don’t come to us because they need a place to stay. They come here to be safe.”</p>
<p>When the coronavirus pandemic forced unhappy couples to remain together in their homes, domestic violence exploded and it hasn’t abated, Rey said. “It’s unprecedented,” she said.</p>
<p>In the last year, Rey’s agency has received bomb threats and been warned to expect a mass shooting. It has been forced to spend extra money to beef up security, leaving it desperate for cash, she said. Fundraising has become critical.</p>
<p>Abused women desperately need help, she said. No matter their age, they all suffer similar trauma. The motives of their abusers, people who supposedly love them, are nearly always the same.</p>
<p>“The goal is to exert control over that one person and use violence and manipulation to do so,” Rey said. “It’s all about what can I do to instill fear in you.”</p>
<p>Sometimes, the rage intensifies with tragic results.</p>
<p>“I believe I own you and I’ll make sure no one else can have you,” as Rey described it.</p>
<p><br /><em>Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse has a 24-hour crisis line for those who need help. It can be reached at 800-355-8547. Its administrative office is 561-265-3797. Information about its services is available at <a href="http://www.avdaonline.org">www.avdaonline.org</a>.</em></p></div>Boca Raton: Eleven new crosswalks shine safety beacons alongside A1Ahttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/boca-raton-eleven-new-crosswalks-shine-safety-beacons-alongside-a2023-02-01T16:15:46.000Z2023-02-01T16:15:46.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10952676275,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10952676275,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="710" alt="10952676275?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a></strong><em>Mayor Scott Singer cuts the ceremonial ribbon that stretches along the crosswalk on State Road A1A at the Yacht and Racquet Club of Boca Raton. Residents of the club and other members of the Beach Condo Association thanked Singer and the city for negotiating to take over the project from the Florida Department of Transportation, allowing it to be finished a couple of years sooner. </em><strong><em>Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star</em> </strong></p>
<p><strong>By Mary Hladky</strong></p>
<p>As Boca Raton police held back traffic, an enthusiastic crowd of beachside residents spanned A1A while Mayor Scott Singer cut a ribbon to recognize the completion of a project that added crosswalks along the busy thoroughfare.<br />The Jan. 12 event at a crosswalk in front of the Yacht and Racquet Club of Boca Raton capped more than a year of effort by the Beach Condo Association of Boca Raton, Highland Beach and Delray Beach and other beachside residents to improve pedestrian safety.<br />“The beach and BCA are so excited to have these safety precautions put in on the beach,” said BCA co-president Emily Gentile as she thanked city officials for making the improvements.<br />“When you ask for something, we do our best to respond,” Singer told the group.<br />Data gathered by the Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency show that residents’ concerns about safety are justified.<br />During the five years ending in 2022, there were 133 crashes along the 2.5-mile stretch of State Road A1A between Palmetto Park Road and Spanish River Boulevard. They resulted in one fatality and three serious injuries. Twelve of the crashes involved bicyclists and six involved pedestrians.<br />Because A1A is a state road, the Florida Department of Transportation should have been the agency to take on this project. But FDOT officials told the city that if they agreed the work should be done, it would not start until 2025. <br />City officials and the BCA agreed that wasn’t soon enough. So the city negotiated with the state to take over the project at a cost of about $260,000.<br />The result is 11 new crosswalks between Highland Beach and Deerfield Beach. Pedestrians who want to cross can press a button to activate flashing lights alongside the road that alert motorists to stop.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10952678086,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10952678086,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="710" alt="10952678086?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a><em>People use the new crosswalk as they clear the road after the ceremony. A push of a button activates flashing lights (on pole at top right) that signal vehicles to stop. ‘I think it’s terrific,’ says resident Joan Epstein. ‘The cars come along so fast on A1A.’</em></p>
<p><br />“I think they are fabulous,” said Boca Towers resident Gilda Resnick. “It is a wonderful thing and overdue.”<br />“I think it’s terrific,” said Joan Epstein, a Yacht and Racquet Club resident. “The cars come along so fast on A1A.”<br />Immediately after the brief ceremony, it appeared that the lights, officially called rectangular rapid-flashing beacons, were working as intended. Pedestrians at several of the crosswalks activated the lights and motorists stopped to let them cross the road.<br />The project was completed just as pedestrian and bicyclist safety is drawing greater scrutiny in the county.<br />Data presented by the FDOT at the Dec. 15 Transportation Planning Agency meeting showed that bicycle and pedestrian fatalities in Palm Beach County have increased over the past five years, while those in Broward have generally decreased, with the most substantial drop occurring from 2021 to 2022.<br />Broward, with a population about 25% greater than Palm Beach’s, saw 64 fatalities from 2021 to 2022, while Palm Beach had 62.<br />The data alarmed some TPA governing board members.<br />“What is Broward County doing that we are not?” asked Jupiter Mayor James Kuretski. “Why are we going in the wrong direction?”<br />“These statistics are alarming,” said county Vice Mayor Maria Sachs, who asked for a report in six months to see what progress is being made to educate the public and improve roadway engineering.<br />TPA Executive Director Valerie Neilson said a report would be presented to the governing board on Feb. 16 that would provide more information on pedestrian and bicyclist injuries and fatalities and give a better sense of whether the county is making progress on reducing them.<br />Without more information, those speaking at the meeting could not provide solid answers on why Palm Beach County is faring poorly compared to Broward.<br />FDOT District 4 Director of Transportation Development Steve Braun said Broward is several years ahead in implementing safety programs.<br />They include Complete Streets, an approach to planning, designing and maintaining streets to reduce risks for drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists and transit riders, and Vision Zero, a national campaign to improve safety with the goal of eliminating all severe injuries and fatalities on the roadways. <br />The Boca Raton City Council unanimously approved a resolution on Oct. 25 that designates Boca as a “Vision Zero city” and directed staff to create a plan to achieve that goal. </p></div>Along the Coast: Pandemic restrictions partly credited for decline in crimehttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/along-the-coast-pandemic-restrictions-partly-credited-for-decline2021-02-03T17:48:05.000Z2021-02-03T17:48:05.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming<div><p><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}8511460289,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8511460289,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="710" alt="8511460289?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a></strong></p>
<p><strong>By Rich Pollack</strong></p>
<p>The number of crimes in most towns and cities in coastal south Palm Beach County fell during the first six months of 2020, according to state statistics. Coronavirus restrictions early in the pandemic are getting some of the credit. <br /> In Highland Beach, the number of reported crimes dropped by more than 70%, from 28 to eight, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Uniform Crime Report. In Manalapan the number dropped from 12 to four and in South Palm Beach from six to two, similar to Highland Beach in terms of percentage. <br /> Ocean Ridge, which includes crimes in Briny Breezes, had one fewer reported crime (11) in the first six months of 2020 than it did during the same period the previous year. Of the smaller area coastal towns, only Gulf Stream reported an increase — with the number of crimes doubling due to a rash of auto thefts.<br /> Still, the number of overall crimes in the coastal communities remained low, with Gulf Stream’s 14 total ranking as the most in any one small town. <br /> Of the larger cities only Delray Beach experienced an increase — a small one at that — while Boca Raton, Boynton Beach and Lantana all witnessed declines. <br /> The drop in crime locally during the first six months of 2020 mirrors statewide numbers that show close to a 12% drop, and county numbers that show a drop of close to 5%. <br /> Although there is no way to know for certain, police chiefs in Highland Beach and Ocean Ridge say that restrictions early in the pandemic — which shuttered businesses, parks and beaches — may have kept would-be criminals away. <br /> “During a short period of time when more severe restrictions were in place, the number of certain types of crimes went down a little,” said Ocean Ridge Police Chief Hal Hutchins. <br /> Those types — burglaries and thefts from unlocked vehicles, which Hutchins calls opportunity crimes — were down as more people stayed home during spring lockdowns and fewer people visited the area. <br /> “The fact that we had less people and less traffic, that did help us to a limited extent,” he said. <br /> Highland Beach Police Chief Craig Hartmann said that more people at home translates to better vigilance. “There are more eyes and ears out there when people aren’t traveling,” he said. <br /> For Highland Beach, as well as other towns, a focus on prevention — with the help of enhanced technology — could also have been a factor driving the drop in crime during the first six months of 2020. <br /> Manalapan Police Chief Carmen Mattox says that the addition of four police officers, bringing the department’s staff to 12, has played a role in keeping crime down. <br /> “Increasing our visibility, improving our technology and improving communication has been a big help,” he said.<br /> One tool in the technology kit, the installation of license plate readers throughout the area, has played a role in reducing crime, according to Hartmann, especially as their usage continues to increase. <br /> “License plate readers are so important because they give you a level of alert,” he said. <br /> He pointed to a recent incident in which a license plate reader picked up a suspected stolen car passing through Highland Beach. When officers located the vehicle, they discovered that the two people inside were wanted in connection with armed robberies.<br /> Hartmann had a feeling the suspects — who had a loaded gun in the car — planned more crimes, but said there’s no way to know for sure.<br /> How much crime was deterred by license plate readers, the increased awareness and vigilance of residents, and actions by law enforcement are not reflected in the statewide crime report, he pointed out.<br /> “There’s no statistic for what was prevented,” Hartmann said. </p></div>Along the Coast: Most coastal communities see decline in serious crimehttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/along-the-coast-highland-and-boca-see-decline-in-crime-rate2014-06-04T16:00:00.000Z2014-06-04T16:00:00.000ZChris Felkerhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/ChrisFelker<div><p><strong>By Rich Pollack</strong><br /> <br /> The number of serious crimes — what little there was — declined 23 percent for six small coastal towns in 2013 and local law enforcement agencies are crediting a more vigilant population for much of the drop.<br /> In all, there were 135 serious crimes, including burglaries, robberies and thefts in the six small oceanfront communities of Highland Beach, Gulf Stream, Briny Breezes, Ocean Ridge, Manalapan and South Palm Beach, according to statistics compiled by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Last year the same agencies reported 176 serious crimes.<br /> Highland Beach, Gulf Stream and Ocean Ridge all saw drops in reported crime, while South Palm Beach and Manalapan each reported only one more crime than the previous year. <br /> Overall, Boca Raton reported a 9.3 percent decrease in serious crimes while Delray Beach saw a 5 percent increase. Lantana saw a 7.8 percent increase in the number of crimes reported. Breakdowns of the number of reported crimes that occurred east of the Intracoastal Waterway for those communities were not available.<br /> In Highland Beach, the number of serious crimes fell 25 percent from 2012 to 2013 while Gulf Stream had a 37.5 percent drop in the number of serious crimes. In going from 10 crimes in 2012 to 11 in 2013, South Palm Beach saw a slight increase in the number of crimes reported, as did Manalapan with 25 crimes reported compared to 24 in 2012.<br /> In Ocean Ridge, which also polices Briny Breezes and includes crimes there in its statistics, the number of reported crimes dropped from 74 in 2012 to 51 in 2013. <br /> “Obviously, we’re very happy with the numbers,” said Ocean Ridge Police Chief Chris Yannuzzi. “It’s really a team effort involving our department and our residents.”<br /> Yannuzzi said his department is especially pleased with a 48 percent decrease in the number of reported burglaries, even at a time when staffing was down. <br /> “There were 25 burglaries reported in 2012 and just 13 reported last year,” he said.<br /> The number of larcenies in Ocean Ridge also dropped from 46 in 2012 to 28 last year. A significant number of those crimes, Yannuzzi said, took place at Oceanfront Park, owned and operated by the city of Boynton Beach but which is in Ocean Ridge so falls under the town’s jurisdiction. <br /> Palm Beach County’s Ocean Inlet Park, south of the Boynton Beach Inlet, is policed by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, which has countywide jurisdiction. <br /> Burglaries also dropped significantly in Highland Beach, where 12 were reported in 2012 and only four were reported in 2013. <br /> Both Yannuzzi and Highland Beach Police Chief Craig Hartmann say increased awareness on the part of residents helped to minimize crime, especially burglaries.<br /> “We spent time getting the word out to our residents and letting them know they should call us if something doesn’t look right,” Hartmann said. <br /> He said the department works closely with residents, letting them know to notify the department when they’re away so the officers can keep an additional eye on the property.<br /> “Highland Beach has a reputation of being a safe town and we want to work with our residents to keep it that way,” he said.<br /> In Gulf Stream, Police Chief Garrett Ward says the department’s high visibility on State Road A1A and in other areas may serve as a deterrent to criminals.<br /> “Our focal point is high visibility patrols,” he said. “We use traffic enforcement as a crime prevention tool.”<br /> Ward said the department also works with residents to provide extra patrols when they are out of town.<br /> Manlapan Police Chief Carmen Mattox says his department also provides extra patrols of homes when the residents are away. In addition, the department does regular checks of construction areas to make sure there are no unauthorized personnel on the site, especially after hours.<br /> Highland Beach, Gulf Stream and Ocean Ridge also offer residents free home-security checks to identify potential problems. <br /> Yannuzzi said his department also puts out a monthly newsletter that includes crime prevention tips and information about the latest crimes.<br /> “We’re constantly pushing crime prevention,” he said. “Our goal is to make Ocean Ridge more intimidating to criminals.</p>
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<p><span class="font-size-3">Crime Prevention Tips</span><br /> • If you see something, say something. Don’t delay in calling police.<br /> • Install alarms and keep them activated when you’re away. An alarm does no good if it isn’t activated.<br /> • Secure your property. Keep home and car doors locked and garage doors closed when not in use.<br /> • Illuminate the exterior of your home as much as possible.<br /> • Give your house a “lived-in” look. Put lights on a timer and don’t leave newspapers in the driveway.<br /> <em>Source: Ocean Ridge Police Department</em></p>
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