Patrolling our streets
 

I enjoy reading about all of the tickets our sheriff's department is giving motorist and golf carts. There is definitely a problem with cars, golf carts and bikes not obeying traffic laws, no question about that.
But what about patrolling our streets looking for possible breaking and entering. I haven't seen a patrol car on my street in years. I see plenty on St. Charles and Bailey Trail looking for speeders, but not in the residential areas.
We have Village Watch to patrol our streets, but do they stop if they see an unattended garage door open. Don't think so.
We need more police presence in The Villages. This will help stop crime. With all the break-ins recently, I have installed a security system.
This is only my option, and I could be wrong.

As I understand their duties, the Village Watch guys make a note of open garage doors, and take action if it's still open on their next go-round. I believe they do at least three passes every day.

Which may, of course, that someone else is driving on a subsequent pass, but I'm convinced each driver receives a status report from his predecessor.

SWR
:beer3:

I think you're making a very good point, and I didn't think of it until you mentioned it. I often see sheriff's patrol cars on the main streets, but I cannot for the life of me recall seeing one drive in my villa neighborhood. Now, it's very possible they do and I'm just not home to see it, but your post has made me more aware of their absence. Has anyone else had the same observation?

We have seen quite a few unmarked cars patrolling our area which includes Hillsborough, Pinellas, and the surrounding streets. Also several sheriff deputy marked patrol cars have been very visible. We just came by the Sanibel pool about and hour ago and there were two Sumtner County Sheriff cars who appeared to be arresting a woman. They appeared to be frisking her and slapping the cuffs on her. This also happened in the Pinellas Plaza a few weeks ago when I was there. They were searching a woman and cuffing her outside the nail place. They are definitely on patrol and looking out for suspects committing crimes in our area. I think they are really doing a great job with making their presence known.

Looking for burglars doesn't bring in any revenue. That said, I have noticed Sheriff Patrols in Charlotte recently.

How many patrol cars would be needed to patorl all of the villages residential streets. Not just those south of 466A!
You cannot have a cop on every corner!

Being retired from a dept I would hear this all the time from friends and neighbors.
First sit in the front window for 24 hours a day and then you may have a question.
An officer on a main road can observe ( as trained ) and stop suspicious vehicles. He can observe hundreds of vehicles and people compared to a few driving around your neighborhood.
Driving down a side street may make you think your safer but as in all police work it's being in the right place at the right time.
Neighbors should be more knowledgeable as who belongs on the street.
There are times I drive the side roads and it looks like an abandoned town.
If you call the police and no one shows than you'll have a complaint but until just say thank you to the Village watch.

Take your choice, golfcarts going 21 mph or homes being broken into. Police can't be everywhere and they concentrate where the most income for the county is.

Sumter, Lake and Marion counties are a lot of square miles to cover, not just TV...

I haven't heard of a single person being pulled over for 21, 22, or 23 mph, nor do I think that speeding is much of a problem here. Running stop signs is a different story, as is, not observing the rules in roundabouts. Think they could bring in much more income by concentrating on violations in roundabouts, and I would love to see them do it.

Community Watch is a joke! I called them one night around midnight to report that one of our neighbors' garage door was open. They said that they would notify them. At 530 or 6 the next morning, when I took the dogs out, the door was still open.

My husband and I live in Lauren Villas in Charlotte. My husband was doing some yard work and going back and forth between the back yard and garage. Our car was also parked at the home. We later noticed something attached to the door. It turned out to be a warning about our garage door being open. REALLY? We had only been a resident for a few months and were totally puzzled why we were targeted. As we looked down the street, other garage doors open...Our neighbor talked to the watch driver and all he asked was if we were home. I guess things for the yard in the garage and a car in the driveway wasn't a simple answer for him. This was back in Sept., and I appreciate there looking for something suspicious, but it wasn't here.

I don't believe that.

Seems as if they are damned if they do and damned if they don't.

One of the better posts I have read today.