As BocaNewsNow.com
continues to report, Seven Bridges, and the neighboring
Lyons Road communities of Boca Bridges and Lotus, are in the
midst of a wave of car thefts despite the communities being
gated and employing roving security. Law enforcement tells
BocaNewsNow.com that professional thieves easily penetrate
the gates of these communities, then look for cars with
extended mirrors — a sign that doors are unlocked and key
fobs are inside.
Seven Bridges, Boca Bridges, and Lotus all boast million
dollars homes, but none have “traffic enforcement
agreements” in place with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s
Office. Traffic Enforcement Agreements, or “TEAs,” are
required for police to have the authority to issue tickets
in private communities. Police tend to spend time where they
can issue citations. Criminals tend to spend time where
police are unlikely to be. The lack of TEA often puts law
enforcement in the position of responding to crime several
minutes after a call is received, instead of potentially
being just streets away.
PBSO, so concerned about the lack of TEAs in these
communities, placed a digital sign on Lyons Road warning
homeowners to lock their cars. The agency is also placing
unoccupied police cars in the communities as a crime
deterrent. But without actual Deputies in those vehicles,
criminals may quickly learn that they are only up against
roving security that may be napping.
The Seven Bridges Board of Directors used HOA funds to pay
an attorney last month to tell BocaNewsNow.com in a “legal
letter” that the community has a “traffic enforcement
agreement” in process with Palm Beach County — a claim it’s
made for years. The legal letter accused BocaNewsNow.com of
creating a “road map” for would-be criminals, but made no
mention of its position on security guards who sleep in
their patrol cars. A board member did not respond when
provided with the sleeping security photo on Sunday. |