Citizens Mobile Patrol
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[edit] Palm Beach Gardens Police Department Forms Citizens Mobile Patrol
Chief Stephen J. Stepp of the Palm Beach Gardens (Florida) Police Department announced the formation of a new "Citizens Mobile Patrol" to begin operations within the City on September 1, 2004.
Chief Stepp said that specially marked units have been allocated and that the program would first roll out in PGA National because of the strong working relationship that currently exists between the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department, Wackenhut Security & the residents of PGA. In addition, since PGA National makes up some 25% of the City's population, it is an obvious choice. As the Patrol grows in size it will be expanded to include other residential communities within the city as well as special focus areas within the business community.
The CMP as it is known, is a special group of adult Volunteers who, after being screened, background checked, and trained by the Police Department will patrol business and residential communities acting as additional "Eyes and Ears" for law enforcement. The goal of the organization is to prevent and deter crime, to reduce motor vehicle violations and to assist sworn officer by identifying hazards and reporting suspicious persons or incidents. Chief Stepp was clear in emphasizing that the new CMP would not in any way impact the existing Police patrols done by sworn officers nor would the CMP have any law enforcement authority.
In other parts of the County, State and Country, CMP Volunteers patrol on a regular basis, usually in 4-8 hour shifts, and become more familiar with the community and thus are better able to recognize "suspicious" activity and notify the police. Due to their focused patrol activity, it is not uncommon for CMP's to observe crimes already in progress. CMP's do not take enforcement action, they only observe and report. Members will not be authorized to carry weapons and are encouraged to avoid physical contact. Very often the CMP's greatest weapon is their established bond with local law enforcement and their ability to communicate directly with the Police Communications Center.
Citizen Patrols have proven highly successful in other local areas and some communities have used the CMP units to assist sworn officers in citing violators who park in either Handicapped or Fire Zones. Some communities use the CMP units to provide welfare checks on elderly and homebound individuals. CMP Volunteers may also be called upon to assist in locating missing adults and children. Palm Beach Gardens will phase in each of these functions as the program matures and grows in size.
Residents of Palm Beach Gardens wanting to learn more about the program are encouraged to contact Sgt. Jack Schnur of the Police Community Involvement Unit at 799-4565 or visit the city website at http://www.pbgfl.com/publicsafety/police/police.asp.
