“Active Phone Scams”

The Flagler Beach Police Department is providing this awareness announcement in an effort to alert citizens in our community that there are two (2) active telephone “scams” currently operating in our area.

“Telephone scams target trusting individuals and those that perpetrate this crime have only one (1) motive; to take your hard earned money’” said Flagler Beach Police Captain Matt Doughney. “I sincerely hope that this announcement helps prevent someone, anyone, from becoming a victim (of these types of scams)”.

 

o  The first scam involves a phone call from an individual representing themselves as an employee of Florida Power & Light (FP&L). The caller will advise that a recent power bill is overdue/has not been paid and that the power will be shut off immediately if payment is not received. The caller will advise that the account must be paid promptly through a pre-loaded debit card or wire transfer.

 

o  The second scam involves a phone call from an individual representing themselves as an Investigator from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The caller states that based on an IRS investigation there’s a large tax lean associated with possible criminal charges and that the owed money to the IRS must be paid promptly through a pre-loaded debit card or wire transfer.

 

“The callers in these types of cases are very persuasive. They’re manipulative and they prey on people for a living.’ Doughney continued.  ‘Please help us put them out of business by being alert and skeptical; which will in turn allow you to keep your money”.

Citizens in our community should stay vigilant and maintain a healthy skepticism should they receive telephone calls of this nature.  If you do receive a call of this nature please don’t give out any personal information (date of birth, social security number, etc.) and please don’t purchase any pre-loaded credit or debit cards. When in doubt, be cautious, hang up, and contact local Law Enforcement for assistance.

For more information, please contact Captain Doughney at 386-517-2023. Additional information on IRS and FP&L scams can be found on the Flagler Beach Police Website Department’s website: https://www.fbpd.org/frequent-scams/

 “ Beach & Water Safety”

Summer officially started on June 21st and our scenic beaches are a very popular destination for residents and visitors. The following beach and water safety tips are being proactively disseminated in an effort to increase safety of those that enjoy the beach and waterways in Flagler Beach.

Learn To Swim: Learning to swim is the best defense against drowning. Teach children to swim at an early age.

Swim Near a Lifeguard: The United States Lifeguard Association statistics over a ten (10) year period show that the chance of drowning at a beach without lifeguard protection is almost five (5) times as great as drowning at a beach with lifeguards.

Swim with a Friend: Many drownings involve those that swim by themselves. When you swim with a friend, if one (1) of you has a problem, the other may be able to help or signal for help.

Check with the Lifeguards:  Lifeguards work continually to identify hazards.  They can advise you on the safest place to swim, as well as places to avoid. Talk to them when you first arrive at the beach and ask them for their advice.

Use Sunscreen and Drink Water:  Choose “broad spectrum” sunscreen rated from 15 to 50 SPF, or clothing that covers your skin. Reapply sunscreen regularly throughout the day and drink lots of water.  Avoid alcohol, which contributes to dehydration.

Keep the Beach and Water Clean:  Please utilize trash containers and remember to leave footprints in the sand, not your trash.

Obey Posted Signs and Flags: In Flagler Beach our Lifeguards utilize the following flags;

Green Flag:  Low hazard

Yellow Flag:  Medium hazard

Red Flag:  Dangerous hazard

Purple Flag:  Dangerous marine life, to include jellyfish

Learn Rip Current Safety: If you’re caught in a rip current, stay calm and don’t fight it by trying to swim directly to shore.  Instead, swim parallel to shore until you feel the current relax; then swim to shore.  Most rip currents are narrow and a short swim parallel to shore will bring you to safety. A video presentation on rip currents entitled “Break the Grip of the Rip!” can be viewed at the following website: http://ripcurrents.noaa.gov/index.shtml

If you have any questions regarding Beach and Water Safety in Flagler Beach, please contact Tom Gillin or Captain Doughney. The following websites can also provide additional information on beach & water safety, as well as rip currents;

www.ripcurrents.noaa.gov http://www.usla.org/?page=RIPCURRENTS

Special Note: High Tide for July 4th this year is 8:50 p.m. and the Fireworks will start at 9:00 p.m. Please plan ahead and be prepared for the incoming tide.

“Fireworks Prohibited”

 

The following information is respectfully provided in advance of the July 4th festivities in an effort to increase public awareness, ensure compliance with our City Ordinance prohibiting fireworks, and prevent a fireworks related tragedy from occurring during this year’s holiday celebration.

 

Under Flagler Beach City Ordinance 9-17 (b) (1) it is considered unlawful for any person to possess, store, use or explode any fireworks in our City Limits.

 

The City of Flagler Beach utilizes the State of Florida’s definition of “Fireworks”, under Florida State Statute 791.01 (4) (a), which reads as follows; “ Fireworks” means and includes  any combustible or explosive composition or substance or combination of substances or, except as hereinafter provided,any article prepared for the purpose of producing a visible or audible effect by combustion, explosion,deflagration, or detonation. The term includes blank cartridges and toy cannons in which explosives are used, the type of balloons which require fire underneath to propel them, firecrackers, torpedoes, skyrockets, roman candles, dago bombs, and any fireworks containing any explosives or flammable compound or any tablets or other device containing any explosive substance.

 

Fireworks present two (2) serious safety concerns for Law Enforcement and Fire Service personnel:

1) Personal Injury, and 2) Fire. If the City Ordinance is obeyed, these two (2) concerns go away, freeing up officials to focus on other important duties.

 

According to Flagler Beach Police Captain Matt Doughney, fireworks have the potential for “serious personal injury to users and/or observers should an explosive device detonate, misfire or unexpectedly explode.”  It’s common to think “it won’t happen to me,” but two (2) players from the National Football league (NFL) sustained substantial injuries in separate fireworks incidents last year. Statistics from a 2014 study conducted by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission indicate:

 

o  230 people on average go to the Emergency Room everyday with fireworks-related injuries in the month around the July 4th holiday.

o  9 people died due to 8 fireworks-related incidents. In at least 2 incidents, the victims were not the users.

 

The second safety concern is a spark combined with our hot and dry weather. Fireworks can easily start a brush or house fire.  “When you add fireworks to dry and windy conditions, the results can be devastating” said Captain Bobby Pace of the Flagler Beach Fire Department.

 

For additional information, please contact Police Captain Doughney at 386-517-2022 or Fire Captain Pace at 386-517-2010.

 “ Floating Sky Lanterns & Aerial Drones – July 4th Festivities”

 

The Flagler Beach Police Department is requesting that aerial drones and floating sky lanterns stay grounded during this year’s Fourth of July festivities.

 

“One of the most efficient methods used by Law Enforcement to address the egress of traffic associated with large events like the Fourth of July, is a helicopter serving as our ‘eye in the sky,’” said Flagler Beach Police Captain Matt Doughney. “The helicopter allows us to identify traffic problems in real time and create solutions that are not easily recognizable at ground level.”

 

The increased use of aerial drones by the public over the past few years, along with the release of numerous floating sky lanterns after last year’s fireworks presentation, has prompted this request.

 

In cases requiring an emergency response by Fire Flight, the helicopter may be required to land in a public area or near the beach. Flying drones in or near an emergency helicopter pose a risk to the pilot as well as the general public and under FAA guidelines, unless you have a permit, they’re unlawful in Flagler Beach due to our close proximity to Flagler County Airport.

 

“While the floating sky lanterns may look beautiful, they create a serious conflict with airspace,”Doughney continued. “The last thing we need is a pilot dodging flaming lanterns!”

 

This request is being made in a proactive effort to reduce any conflicts in airspace.  We want this year’s event and subsequent traffic egress to be as safe as possible. Your compliance with this request is greatly appreciated.

 

For more information, contact Captain Doughney at 386-517-2022.

Floating Sky Lanterns

The Flagler Beach Police Department is proud to introduce Report It, a free, proactive tracking tool that provides citizens an easy way to catalog their valuables.

What is “Report It”?   It’s a proactive on-line tool for recording information about your valuables in advance of a possible loss through theft, fire, flood, or other unforeseen event. Flagler Beach residents can input property information such as serial numbers, owner-applied numbers, photographs, and scans of receipts. It’s completely internet based, so you never have to worry about losing the data.

How much does “Report It” cost? This is a free service available to residents through the Flagler Beach Police Department and its partnership with “Leads Online.” Each account can store up to one-hundred (100) items. If additional storage is needed, please email citizen@leadsonline.com. Corporate and small business accounts are available upon request.

Why should I use “Report It”? Nobody expects to be the victim of property crime or a natural disaster. But if it does happen, you’ll be able to provide an inventory of your valuables to the Police for identification, and to your insurance provider to file a claim.

What type of property should I keep track of in “Report It”? Anything of value, such as collectibles, jewelry, electronics, machinery, lawn equipment, and even designer clothes and handbags.

Is “Report It” secure? Your information is accessed by your chosen user name and password, and is protected via a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) network connection, the same type of connection used to access your bank account. “Report It” is protected by the same high-level security measures used by financial institutions and government agencies.

Are the Police able to search the information stored in “Report It”? No. Your information can only be accessed by you using your username and password. If the need arises, you can print your entry from any computer with internet access and share it with Law Enforcement.

“This is a win-win for our community and the Department,” said Police Captain Matt Doughney. “Our partnership with “Leads Online” since 2014 has been extremely valuable in our efforts to combat crime in Flagler Beach. The “Report It” program is free, provides our citizens with an effective tool to document their valuables, and should they become a victim of theft or burglary, it enhances our ability to solve the case and return the property to its rightful owner.”

For additional information on the “Report It” program, please contact Captain Doughney at

(386) 517-2024 or view the awareness toolkit; https://www.fbpd.org/report-it/.

 

The website for “Report It” is: https://ReportIt.leadsonline.com.

 

Are you looking for a safer way to close your on-line (Craig’s List ®, “Facebook’s Swip- Swap”®, etc.) transactions? If the answer to that questions is yes, we’ve got a brand new program especially for you! The dangers of meeting strangers at a remote location to trade items has ended too many times in senseless violence and this trend continues to occur across the nation. This program is specifically designed to provide a safe place to trade, which in turn will protect all parties involved.

In a proactive effort to protect our citizens, the Flagler Beach Police Department is welcoming the public to utilize our Department’s lobby and parking lot to close their online transactions in a safer manner for all involved parties. The Flagler Beach Police Department is centrally located at 204 South Flagler Avenue. In addition to utilizing the Police Department as an “Online Transaction Safe Place”, our Police Officers will be available to stand by in order to increase both the buyer’s and seller’s sense of security.

Along with our commitment to the safety of all parties involved, the Flagler Beach Police Department is committed to ensuring that on-line transactions conducted in our City are being done so with merchandise that hasn’t been reported as stolen. Police Officers will be available to check any item’s serial number against the State of Florida and National databases (to include NCIC and Leads On-Line) to ensure that transactions don’t include items that have been reported and/or entered into databases as stolen.

How do I set up an appointment?

To schedule an appointment, please contact our Staff at the Police Department between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Feel free to stop by to make your appointment or call us at 386-517-2020.

If you have any questions about the aforementioned information, please contact Captain Doughney or any member of the Flagler Beach Police Department.