News – Page 13 – Flagler Beach Police Department

April 3, 2017

See Something Say Something

1-855-FLA-SAFE

1-855-352-7233

Law Enforcement needs your help keeping all Floridians safe. In this day and age criminals, bad actors, and yes even terrorists, seek to disguise their true intentions. We are seeing “lone wolf” or single attacker incidents. The Department of Homeland Security and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement have developed a series of brochures, flyers, videos, and information kits to inform businesses and our citizens on what suspicious activity may look like. Business specific brochures have been developed for religious facilities, retail and rental business, financial institutions and more. Topics include active shooter awareness, bomb threat preparedness and potential indicators of suspicious behavior and much more.

CLICK ON THE LINKS BELOW FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/cms/FFC/S4/Tools/Business.aspx

http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/cms/FFC/S4/Tools/General.aspx

CALL 1-855-FLA-SAFE/1-855-352-7233

March 24, 2017

Public Service Announcement

March 22, 2017

Hearing Impaired Communications Cards for Law Enforcement Officers

The Flagler Beach Police Department has partnered with Easterseals of Northeast Central Florida and the Daytona Beach Police Department on an initiative to provide our municipal Law Enforcement Officers with a quick reference tool to assist in communicating with citizens who are either deaf or hearing impaired.

Effective Wednesday, March 22, 2017 each sworn Officer of the Flagler Beach Police Department will be equipped with a “Deaf Visor Card” (copy attached). The purpose of the card is to improve communication with individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. Officers will have the new cards over the “Visors” of their patrol vehicle for easy access.

According to Flagler Beach Police Chief Matt Doughney, the cards were made available through Easterseals of Northeast Central Florida and the Daytona Beach Police Department. “The success of most personal interactions comes down to the ability for all parties involved to communicate effectively. If these cards help our Officers to communicate with members of the public who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, then we’ve broken down a barrier that otherwise could lead to confusion and frustration.”

If there are any questions regarding the “Deaf Visor Cards”, please feel free to contact Chief Doughney at (386) 517-2020.

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March 10, 2017

Spring Break Safety

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

March 7, 2017

“Flagler County Schools’ Spring Break 2017”

Spring Break for our local Flagler County School students begins Monday, March 13, and runs through Friday, March 17, 2017, coinciding with Bike Week. The Flagler Beach Police Department anticipates heavier than usual crowds at our Beach, on our roadways, and at our businesses during this busy week.

In an effort to provide a safe environment during the event for our residents and visitors, the Flagler Beach Police Department has requested, and will be receiving, additional Law Enforcement resources from the following agencies:

Flagler County Sheriff’s Office
State Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco

According to Chief Matt Doughney, “the influx of vehicular and pedestrian traffic for these two (2) overlapping events will provide unique challenges for our Department. Sheriff Staly has graciously provided additional Deputies to assist our Officers throughout this year’s event. The additional staffing of Deputies partnering with our Officers is an example of teamwork and inter-agency cooperation at its finest.”

The goal for the additional Law Enforcement is to provide a safe environment for residents, visitors and business owners alike. Flagler Beach encourages visitors to enjoy all the City has to offer, but asks that our City Ordinances and State Laws are respected, and that you clean up after yourselves. Doughney continued, “If your goal for Spring Break is to come to our City and misbehave, you will not be welcome. Law Enforcement Officers will be on hand to address your behavior accordingly.”

“Agents from our State’s Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco did an absolutely outstanding job during last year’s 4th of July celebration,” noted Chief Doughney. “Inviting State Agents back for Spring Break to address underage drinking on the Beach provides yet another layer of Law Enforcement”.

Officers and Deputies will focus their combined efforts on the expeditious movement of traffic in and around the core downtown area, specifically State Routes 100 and A1A.

In addition to traffic management throughout the week, Law Enforcement Officers will be patrolling the downtown area on ATV’s, bicycles, motorcycles and on foot patrol. Law Enforcement’s areas of concern for the event are underage drinking, littering, illegal parking, and physical disturbances that tend to be caused by and/or associated with underage drinking or narcotics usage.

If you have any questions regarding this year’s Spring Break event, please feel free to contact Chief Doughney at (386) 517-2020.

March 2, 2017

Bike Week and Motorcycle Safety

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

March 2, 2017

“76th Annual Bike Week & Motorcycle Safety”

Bike Week begins Friday, March 10th and runs through Sunday, March 19th.

The Flagler Beach Police Department will be enforcing both hazardous moving violations and non-moving violations. Hazardous moving violations include, but are not limited to:

Careless Driving,
Aggressive Careless Driving,
Reckless Driving,
Excessive Speed,
Racing on a highway (drag racing) and,
Driving Under the Influence (DUI).

The following State Statutes, paraphrased below, are in effect in the State of Florida:

316.2095 - Footrests, handholds, and handlebars:

Footrests must be provided for a passenger on a motorcycle, unless it is equipped with a sidecar or enclosed cab.
Handlebars or handgrips cannot be higher than the top of the shoulders of the person operating the motorcycle while properly seated upon the motorcycle.

316.211 - Equipment for motorcycles:

An eye protective device must be worn by the operator of the motorcycle.

316.294 – Mirrors:

Every vehicle and motorcycle, operated singly or when towing any other vehicle, must have a rear view mirror that allows the driver a rear view of the highway for a minimum distance of 200 feet.

316.304 - Wearing of headsets:

No motorcycle operator can wear a headset, headphone, or other listening device. The exception is a hearing aid or instrument for the improvement of defective human hearing.

316.405 Motorcycle headlights to be turned on:

Headlights must be on at all times while the motorcycle or motor-driven cycle is being driven on public streets or highways.

The goal for this year’s Bike Week event is the safety of our visitors and residents through compliance with the laws of the State of Florida. Please remember that reducing your speed, especially after dark, allows for a longer reaction/braking time, and also helps reduce noise.

Special Note: The speed limit on SRA1A between South 12th Street and South 18th Street is 25 MPH. This area of SRA1A was affected by Hurricane Matthew and Officers will be monitoring speeds via radar during Bike Week.

We hope this year’s Bike Week provides our visitors, residents and businesses with many happy memories. Thank you in advance for helping make this year’s event a safe one for all.

This information is being provided in advance of the event to educate visitors and residents on Florida motorcycle related laws. If you have any questions regarding Bike Week, please feel free to contact Chief Doughney at (386) 517-2020.

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February 8, 2017

Grandparents Phone Scam

“Grandparents Phone Scam”

The Flagler Beach Police Department is providing this awareness announcement to the public in an effort to warn and alert citizens in our community that there is a telephone “scam” currently taking place in the area. To date there have been no victims in Flagler Beach and we hope this information thwarts anyone from becoming a victim.

How this Scam Works

A grandparent receives a frantic call from someone they believe to be their grandchild. The supposed grandchild sounds distressed and may be calling from a noisy location. The supposed grandchild claims to be involved in some type of trouble and/or criminal activity while traveling out of the country, such as being arrested or in a car accident or needing emergency car repairs, and asks the grandparent to immediately wire money to post bail, pay for medical treatment or car repairs. The scammer typically asks for several thousand dollars, and may even call back again several hours or days later asking for more money. He or she may claim embarrassment about the alleged trouble and ask the grandparent to keep it a secret.

A slight variation of this scam may involve two (2) scammers; the first scammer calls and poses as a grandchild under arrest. The second scammer, posing as a Law Enforcement Officer, then gets on the phone with the grandparent and explains what fines and/or bond needs to be paid.

This nationwide scam has a common theme; money. The scammer always requests for the grandparent to wire money through Western Union or MoneyGram or to provide bank account routing numbers. The wiring of money is like sending cash; there are no protections for the sender. Typically there is no way you can reverse the transaction, trace the money, or recover payment from the telephone con artists. Their goal is to take your hard earned money.

How to Avoid Becoming a Victim

Be suspicious when you receive a telephone call where:

A grandchild calls you from a faraway location.
The grandchild says, "It's me," or "It's your grandson," or "It's your favorite grandchild."
The grandchild is in some trouble or some type of distress.
The caller asks for money to be wire transferred

Citizens in our community should stay vigilant and maintain a healthy skepticism should they receive telephone calls of this nature. If you receive a call of this nature please be cautious, hang up and call another family member who can confirm your grandchild's whereabouts. Try calling your grandchild at the telephone number you would normally reach him or her. Please remember to stay calm and avoid acting out of a sense of urgency.

Do not wire any money unless you have verified with an independent third party that your grandchild is truly in trouble and when in doubt, please contact your local Law Enforcement agency for assistance.

If you have any questions regarding this active phone scam, please feel free to contact Chief Doughney at (386) 517-2023.

Additional information on this specific fraud can be accessed at the following websites;

The Federal Bureau of Investigation; https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-fraud-schemes

Department of State: https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/emergencies/scams.html

AARP: http://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2016/how-to-beat-grandparent-scam.html

January 27, 2017January 27, 2017

Victim of Unattended Death Identified

MEDIA RELEASE

January 25, 2017

Victim of Unattended Death Identified

On Tuesday, January 24, 2017, at approximately 11:01 a.m. Officers from the Flagler Beach Police Department were dispatched to the north side of the State Road 100 Bridge for what appeared to be a human body floating in the Intracoastal Waterway. Upon Officers’ arrival, a female was found deceased in the Intracoastal Waterway. The victim in this case was positively identified as Janis Washburn, 68 years of age, a resident of Palm Coast.

On, Wednesday, January 25, 2017, an autopsy was performed by the Medical Examiner’s Office and the cause of death was determined to be drowning. The investigation into the death of Ms. Washburn has officially been classified as a suicide and the case is hereby closed.

Chief Doughney stated, “Our entire Department’s thoughts and prayers are with the Washburn family during this difficult time. The loss of a loved has a ripple effect on those that are left behind and we hope that time, faith and serenity come quickly to those that loved and cared about Janis.”

Chief Doughney continued, “This tragedy should serve as a reminder that life is fragile and that there are people in our community that need help. Suicide is not the answer. The answer is reaching out to someone, anyone that can listen and help. If you don’t know who to call, call 911 and we’ll respond. Our goal is to preserve life and help prevent tragedies like this one from occurring.”

If there are any questions, please feel free to contact Chief Doughney at (386) 517-2023. The following suicide prevention information is respectfully provided.

Stewart-Marchman-Act Behavioral Healthcare Crisis Hotline (24/7): 1-800-539-4228
Florida Suicide Prevention Coalition (24/7): 1-800-273-8255 (TALK)
http://www.smabehavioral.org/locations/flagler-county/
http://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/