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Identity Theft Prevention and Recognizing Common Scams
The Surfside Police Department is hosting an Identity Theft Prevention class on April 6, 2010 from 6:00pm to 7:00pm in the Commission Chambers in Town Hall. The class will be taught by Leonardo Mendoza, the Media Relations/ Outreach Liaison from the State Attorney’s Office. There is no charge for this class and light refreshments will be served.
For further information or to register for the class please contact Dina Goldstein or Ofc. Jay Matelis at (305)861-4682.
The Surfside Police Department was awarded a U. S. Department of Justice grant of $11,837.00 to purchase a Personal Electric Mobility Vehicle in October 2009. It will be used at community events and to patrol the residential and business districts of the Town.
Surfside Police Department Full-Compliance On-Site Assessment Report
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The Surfside Police Department invites all residents to join them for the 6th Session of the Citizens Police Academy.
New Police Department Programs
The Police Department has implemented two new volunteer programs: the Police Chaplain and Reserve Police Officer Program. On June 27, 2009, Father Enrique Estrada, the Pastor of St. Joseph’s Church and School, was sworn in as the first Surfside Police Chaplain. Father Estrada will be available for critical incidents, ceremonies, and requests from families.
Michael Auch, Felix Jimenez, James Mazer, and Donald McGavern were also sworn in on June 27 as Reserve Police Officers who will volunteer their time with the Surfside Police Department riding patrol, working special events, and training the police department. They bring over one hundred years of law enforcement experience to the department with investigative experience in internal affairs, homicide, narcotics, public corruption, organized crime, patrol procedures, training, backgrounds, and accreditation.
Junior Police Academy
The Junior Police Academy is a 5 week program, which meets once week on Thursday afternoons, June to July 2009. The program is designed to be an active/hands on program to actively engage the targeted age group, 12 – 15 years old. The participants will learn some aspects of law enforcement, for example, touring the Police Department, Road Patrol, Fingerprinting, Police Equipment, etc. This a police department program, using the children of the Parks and Recreation Teen Camp.
June 15, 2009
Contact: Sgt. Richard Williams
Phone# (305) 861-4862
Immediate Release
Emergency Evacuation Assistance Registry
Click here to download the form.
SURFSIDE POLICE INTRODUCE “CodeRED”
EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NOTIFICATION SYSTEM
The Surfside Police Department is pleased to announce the acquisition of the high speed, CodeRED emergency alert system. With the introduction of the CodeRED system, officials are now capable of delivering either Town-wide or targeted pre-recorded emergency telephone notification/or information messages, such as evacuation notices, missing child alerts, boil water notices, and fire or flood disasters.
CodeRED provides the community with greater protection during critical situations. Thousands of people can be alerted quickly and the controlled warning system ensures that every call provides consistent and accurate information. Other benefits include documented confirmation of the individuals selected, and the system has the ability to contact cell phones and pagers. CodeRED reduces the demand on emergency personnel so that they may better focus and manage their response efforts.
Police Chief, David Allen explains “the CodeRED system is only as good as the database supporting it. If your phone number is not on the database it will not be called.” He further emphasizes that, “in an emergency situation, early notification can help save lives.” Chief Allen encourages all residents and business owners to register their phone numbers and assures everyone that the information will remain completely confidential and will only be used for emergency notification purposes.
To register your phone number into the database, please click on the CodeRED link below. This emergency network is a geographical based information system, which means street addresses are needed in order to select which phone numbers will receive the notification calls. Therefore, required information includes first and last name, street address (physical address, no P.O. boxes), city, state, zip code, and primary phone number.
If you do not have Internet access, please contact Lieutenant Rolando Baldomero at (305) 861-4862, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., to register by phone. Any questions you may have about the CodeRED system may also be directed to Lieutenant Baldomero, Monday to Friday, during regular business hours.
To register your phone number into the database, please click here
Detective Joe Matthews at 305-861-4862 or jmatthews@townofsurfsidefl.gov
Surfside Police Department Launches On-line Crime Alerting and Mapping Service with CrimeReports.com
Citizens empowered with near real-time neighborhood crime information available 24/7/365.
February 26, 2009 - The Surfside Police Department and CrimeReports.com have announced a new On-line Crime Alerting and Mapping Service that provides easy to read incident crime maps and automated alerts to the citizens of the Town of Surfside. The service, located at http://www.crimereports.com or directly from the Surfside Police Department’s Web site http://www.townofsurfsidefl.gov/police.asp , provides neighborhood crime data in near real-time and is available now.
The Surfside Police CrimeReports service is free to the public and allows citizens to receive automatic daily, weekly or monthly email alerts if/when crimes occur near their home. Citizens can also view reported crime activity on an easy to use map for any location within Surfside Police Department’s boundaries. Crime incident data is updated nightly and includes:
- Incident type/ Date/ Location/ Distance from citizen’s address/ Event identification/ Case number/ Brief crime incident description
“Surfside Police CrimeReports will prove particularly valuable to those in the community who want to stay informed and current about what is occurring in their neighborhoods and will allow residents to work with the police department to address neighborhood crime issues.” said Chief David Allen
“By participating in CrimeReports.com, the Surfside Police Department is demonstrating its commitment to service and safety by making crime information available to the citizens of Surfside,” said Greg Whisenant, co-founder and CEO of CrimeReports.com. “Chief David Allen and the Surfside Police Department staff are forward-looking, providing timely, location specific information to the public when they need it” he said.
Crime alerting and mapping is just the first step in empowering citizens with critical neighborhood crime information. Later in 2009, the CrimeReports program will introduce additional services to support community policing and neighborhood watch® programs. Upcoming new features include:
- Community alerts, allowing the SPD to send information alerts to specific neighborhoods
- Neighborhood Watch tools, where residents of specific neighborhoods can contribute information
- Video integration, allowing law enforcement to attach digital video to specific crimes when it is available
MOONLIGHT MADDness
The Surf-Bal-Bay Police Departments partnered with Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) for a mini-walk and beach BBQ to raise funds for the MADD organization. Participants used glow sticks to light up the sky to spell out the acronym, MADD. Over 1,000 people attended the evening event which featured a delicious dinner, fireworks and great music.
please click here for photos
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Surfside Police Department Introduces Electronic Traffic Citations - E-Ticketing Solution from Advanced Public Safety Minimizes Officer Risk, Reduces Cost and Increases Accuracy -
Advanced Public Safety is a leading provider of electronic ticketing software for public safety agencies; the Surfside Police Department has chosen the company to provide the agency with a complete electronic traffic citation system.
At traffic stops, the solution allows officers to check federal and state databases for any stolen vehicle or outstanding warrant alerts and to obtain other relevant information on the vehicle and driver. Previously, officers had to manually transcribe driver and vehicle registration information from the Surfside Police Dispatcher with a time delay.
With the APS QuickTicket software integrated within Verizon Wireless solution, Surfside Police officers will have a system that eliminates handwritten forms and uses unique APS software capabilities to automatically move MobileCop query response data to electronic forms -- significantly reducing data entry while improving accuracy.
At a traffic stop, the officer enters the violator's information into the MobileCop application to obtain background information from available national, state, and local databases. The APS QuickTicket software then auto-populates the requisite information from the mobile query database files directly onto the agency's citation forms. The officers print a copy of the citation for the violator, and electronically transfer the data to be automatically uploaded to police department and county court databases, which reduces the manual data entry process.
"The system is extremely beneficial, it eliminates re-keying driver information two or three times, improving overall efficiency and accuracy. It also allows me to clear all my traffic stops faster, which improves safety on the roadside for me and all Surfside motorist" -said Surfside Officer Joseph Schaefer.
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Surfside Police honored with LEO Award two straight years
The LEO awards are an annual event that recognizes outstanding law enforcement officers and prosecutors from throughout Miami-Dade County on the local, state and federal level. Officers are nominated by their respective departments and a panel of judges reviews all nominations and selects the winner. Police agencies are broken down into three categories based upon the number of sworn personnel.
Officer Joaquin Polanco was recognized for the outstanding year he had in 2007 which included the arrest of a burglary subject from the Best Western Hotel, the arrest of a bank robber and the arrest of two subjects who were burglarizing construction sites. He is consistently one of the top producers on the department.
He certainly was well deserving of this prestigious award. We are very proud of Ofc. Polanco and his accomplishments. He exemplifies the type of officer we want working in Surfside. |
New Police Dispatchers
The Police Department has recently hired two new police dispatchers, Tabatha Washington and Stephanie McHugh. Tabatha and Stephanie are currently assigned to the field training program under the direction of Communications Supervisor Susie Sperbeck. After completion of their training, the new dispatchers will be responsible for specialized work in dispatching police and fire units to emergencies, assisting the public with information, providing record checks and criminal intelligence to officers through State-wide computer systems, and managing the front desk clerical and complaint activities. |
SOUTH FLORIDIANS ENCOURAGED TO PROVIDE EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION (I.C.E.)
Local residents who hold a current Florida Driver License or Florida Identification Card may choose to participate in a new emergency contact information (I.C.E.) service being offered by the Florida Department of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles (DHSMV).
It is now possible to go on-line and enter two emergency contacts on your Florida Drivers License which can only be retrieved by a police officer. If you are involved in an accident and you are incapacitated, the police will be able to run the Drivers License and know immediately which of your family members or loved ones to contact. This information may save crucial time in the event you are involved in a critical situation. Your personal information in Florida motor vehicle and driver records is blocked in accordance with the Driver Privacy Protection Act.
If you are interested in participating in this program, please go to the DHSMV website:
www.hsmv.state.fl.us, click on Driver License Full Service Menu, and select Emergency Contact Information.
NORTH SHORE KIWANIS & THE SURFSIDE POLICE
PROVIDE HOLIDAY DINNERS
This past Thanksgiving Day, the North Shore Kiwanis Club generously sponsored the purchase and delivery of complete turkey dinners to area seniors. Meals were brought to local elderly residents, who live alone, and are registered in the Surfside Police Reassurance Program. Participants in the program receive a daily phone call and are re-assured by the knowledge that their well-being is being checked on a regular basis.
Kiwanis member & Surfside Police Special Projects Coordinator, Wanda Flores and Surfside Police Officer, Ian Leonard organized the pick-up and timely delivery of all the meals.
Thank you to everyone who joined in the sprit of giving during the holiday of thanks.
AREA LAW ENFORCEMENT “Working at the Car Wash” for
THE FAMILY OF OFFICER JOSE SOMOHANO AND OFFICER JODY WRIGHT
On Sat. Oct. 6, the Surfside, Bal Harbour and Bay Harbor Police Departments participated in a county-wide Car Wash to raise funds for the Police Officers Assistance Trust (P.O.A.T.), in memory of Miami-Dade Police Officer Jose Somohano and for Police Officer Jody Wright, who were shot, and respectively, slain and injured on Sept. 13th during a burglary surveillance, when they stopped a vehicle driving erratically in the area they were working.
Representatives of the Surf-Bal-Bay Police Athletic/Activities League (PAL) and participants in the Police Explorers program, senior law enforcement staff, line officers, business leaders and residents, worked side-by-side on the wash brigade to ensure the success of the event.
The Surf-Bal-Bay Car Wash was #1 in the County in terms of charitable dollars raised, and contributed $14,225 to this worthy cause! The grand total collected by all agencies was over $105,000.
The Surf-Bal-Bay Police Departments extend special thanks to:
The Residents of the Tri-City Area for their tremendous outpouring of support
The entire Corps of Volunteers for their tireless efforts
Beau Parrillo of United Auto Insurance
Edwin “Junior” Gonzalez of Tremont Towing
Manny Diaz, Jr. of Brothers Vending
Dwayne Berger, General Manager of Publix Supermarkets
and
Steve Oppenheim of Worldwide Products Inc.
for their generous corporate and personal donations of time, money, muscle power, food, beverages, and cleaning supplies for this charitable event.
SURFSIDE PD RECOGNIZES LARRY FEDER
At the Commission Meeting held on October 9th, the Surfside Police Department honored Construction Depot, Inc. owner Larry Feder in front of an audience of his family and friends, elected officials, residents, and police personnel. During the ceremony, Police Chief Dave Allen presented a Certificate of Appreciation to Mr. Feder with gratitude and appreciation for his selfless dedication to law enforcement and the Town of Surfside. He generously has dedicated his time, effort, materials and staff for the construction of the Police Fitness Center and the holding facility at no cost. In his name, a donation has been made to the “For Fallen Hero’s of the Police Forces” Charity.
Surfside Police Establishes Two New Units:
Raises Level of Service to the Community
At an afternoon ceremony held on Wed., Oct. 4th the Surfside Police Department announced the creation of two new positions intended to advance service to the community. Surfside Police Dispatcher, Susie Sperback, was promoted to Communications Supervisor and given the responsibility of developing the Department’s Communications Unit. In addition to her role as the overall supervisor for three shifts, Susie will also be tasked with creating an ongoing training program for communications personnel and enhancing the department’s customer service levels. She has already begun this process by recently introducing a standard, professional telephone greeting to be used by all dispatchers. Following her graduation from North Miami Senior High and her further academic studies at Florida International University, Susie joined the Surfside PD in the spring of 1997. She has the experience and knowledge to implement ongoing positive improvements to the department’s interaction with the community, other rescue agencies and the general public.
New Equipment
We have purchased a new All Terrain Vehicle and two new bicycles using forfeiture funds to increase our visibility, citizen contacts, and response time on the beach and residential areas.
The new Intoxilyzer 8000 Breath Testing instrument is installed in the Surfside Police Department. This is the state of the art in breath test technology approved by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The instrument will be used to help enforce Florida DUI laws and keep the streets safe for our families.
| The Surfside Police Honor Guard has been established to represent the Surfside Police Department, its officers and families at police funerals, parades and other ceremonial occasions. The team consists of Sgt. Richard Williams, Officer Rory Alberto, Officer Lesmes Ruiz, and Officer Bryant Luke. |
Police Fitness Center
The Police Fitness Center was created at no cost to the Town of Surfside in a partnership with the Bal Harbour Police Department and thrugh donations from local businesses. The equipment and assembly of the Police Fitness Center were also donated from supporters of law enforcement. The Police Fitness Center is open 24/7 to Surfside and Bal Harbour employees. The purpose is to keep police officers physically and mentally strong to cope with their many responsibilities.
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