By Tim O’Meilia
A 45-day-old effort to step up patrols by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office in the two county parks in Ocean Ridge has been a success so far, Police Chief Chris Yannuzzi said last week.
The Sheriff’s Office added up to 400 patrols each in Ocean Inlet and Ocean Ridge Hammock parks in Ocean Ridge and Gulfstream Park in Gulf Stream since Yannuzzi formally requested more attention on the areas in late June.
Crime has risen in the two county-owned parks in Ocean Ridge since budget cuts prompted the Sheriff’s Office to discontinue a permanent park ranger station at Ocean Inlet Park last year.
Calls to the inlet park included two armed robberies and two sexual assaults.
The Sheriff’s Office began an “extra patrol” protocol in each park in which a computer-generated dispatch periodically sends a Sheriff’s car to the parks as if it were a normally dispatch call for service.
“We’re very happy they’ve stepped up their patrols. There’s been a very positive response and a clear sense of cooperation among all the entities involved,” Yannuzzi said, referring to the Sheriff’s Office, Manalapan, Ocean Ridge and other agencies.
Crime statistics for the July 1 to Aug. 15 period were not immediately available from the Sheriff’s Office, but Yannuzzi said there were no violent crimes, although he noted it was a short time frame.
Not all the extra patrols are done by sheriff’s deputies. Civilian volunteers, community service aides and other marked police cars also are used on the patrols.
“I really think any physical police presence is beneficial, no matter what color the car is, green or blue,” Yannuzzi said.
Concern over crime at the inlet park prompted former Ocean Ridge Mayor Ken Kaleel to urge the Town Commission to ask the county to close the county parks in Ocean Ridge at night until the Sheriff’s Office has the manpower to resume full patrols.
Parts of the park in Manalapan and Ocean Ridge close at sunset, but boat slips, the jetty and some parking remain open 24 hours a day for fishermen and boaters. “It’s starting to be a problem,” Kaleel told commissioners in August.
Yannuzzi asked that approval of a request closing the park be postponed until the results of the extra patrols are apparent.
As for how long the increased vigilance would last, Yannuzzi said, “There’s no time frame for sunsetting the extra patrols.” A response to questions of the Sheriff’s Office was not available at press time.
The Sheriff’s Office has agreed to provide increased attention at the inlet park during the Labor Day weekend, Yannuzzi said.
“There will be added patrols by three agencies, to include marked and unmarked units, ATVs, boats, civilian community service aides and parking enforcement specialists/volunteers. This is similar to what occurred for the July Fourth holiday and it was quite adequate,” he said.
During the July 4-8 period, one arrest was made for an open container violation, 11 traffic and 17 parking tickets were issued and several other injuries and incidents attended to — including reports of a missing swimmer, an attempted suicide and an indecent exposure, according to sheriff’s statistics. Ú
Margie Plunkett contributed to this report.
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