[FG111]

I've only lived in The Villages for a year and occasionally I have noticed security type of personnel driving around the area and I have always wondered what is the primary purpose of these people. Are these gentlemen and ladies actually security staff of The Villages and if not, then what do they do.

I only ask since as an avid runner one day this past summer when the temperature was like a zillion degrees, I ran in the middle of the night. I wore dark clothes and ran in a dark area in Fenney. A security vehicle spotted me as I ran passed Fenney Restaurant and although the restaurant was closed, I was never confronted, but I have been stopped on several occasions to show my Villages ID card when walking my dog at the dog park in the middle of the day. Just seemed strange to me.

[John_W]

...

[Bogie Shooter]

Dog parks are an amenity, nothing wrong with an ID check of users.

[njbchbum]

Originally Posted by FG111

I've only lived in The Villages for a year and occasionally I have noticed security type of personnel driving around the area and I have always wondered what is the primary purpose of these people. Are these gentlemen and ladies actually security staff of The Villages and if not, then what do they do.

snipped

Maybe the next time you see one of them on patrol you could stop them and ask them that question.

[giorgio1948]

Consider yourself fortunate ~

[Marathon Man]

Originally Posted by FG111

I've only lived in The Villages for a year and occasionally I have noticed security type of personnel driving around the area and I have always wondered what is the primary purpose of these people. Are these gentlemen and ladies actually security staff of The Villages and if not, then what do they do.

I only ask since as an avid runner one day this past summer when the temperature was like a zillion degrees, I ran in the middle of the night. I wore dark clothes and ran in a dark area in Fenney. A security vehicle spotted me as I ran passed Fenney Restaurant and although the restaurant was closed, I was never confronted, but I have been stopped on several occasions to show my Villages ID card when walking my dog at the dog park in the middle of the day. Just seemed strange to me.

Are you suggesting that they should have stopped and held you? Was there reasonable cause to do so?

[SacDQ]

When we moved here in April 2019 we had one of those people bust are $@&” that are movers were blocking the street. He got heated and threatened to call the REAL police AND HAVE THE DRIVER ARRESTED. He was obviously not suited for that job. We never had a similar episode in the last two years.

[asianthree]

Op I have been running at 3 am in TV since 2010. One early morning a Truck driving slow towards me stopped, and the driver got out. Since I could not see the person due to the headlights, in my head I started my escape plan.

Then the person yelled out I am from community watch, are you ok, or maybe lost, and can’t find your parents house? I started laughing so hard. Told him no, I was only running and was about 4 miles from my house, which I knew the location.

He apologized, said they don’t get many residents that are awake at 3am, much less a runner. He got back in his truck and backed into a driveway and drove the opposite way.

In 2010 you rarely saw anyone running in TV, this week, I pass maybe 10 people on my run. So to your answer, in today’s TV, the community watch is used to younger residents out running at 3am. Plus they are not a LEO, if they thought you were suspicious, they would call the local sheriff

[JoMar]

Still amazes me how many people move here without doing investigation or due diligence.

[dewilson58]

Originally Posted by FG111

I've only lived in The Villages for a year and occasionally I have noticed security type of personnel driving around the area and I have always wondered what is the primary purpose of these people. Are these gentlemen and ladies actually security staff of The Villages and if not, then what do they do.

I only ask since as an avid runner one day this past summer when the temperature was like a zillion degrees, I ran in the middle of the night. I wore dark clothes and ran in a dark area in Fenney. A security vehicle spotted me as I ran passed Fenney Restaurant and although the restaurant was closed, I was never confronted, but I have been stopped on several occasions to show my Villages ID card when walking my dog at the dog park in the middle of the day. Just seemed strange to me.

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by asianthree

Op I have been running at 3 am in TV since 2010. One early morning a Truck driving slow towards me stopped, and the driver got out. Since I could not see the person due to the headlights, in my head I started my escape plan.

Then the person yelled out I am from community watch, are you ok, or maybe lost, and can’t find your parents house? I started laughing so hard. Told him no, I was only running and was about 4 miles from my house, which I knew the location.

He apologized, said they don’t get many residents that are awake at 3am, much less a runner. He got back in his truck and backed into a driveway and drove the opposite way.

In 2010 you rarely saw anyone running in TV, this week, I pass maybe 10 people on my run. So to your answer, in today’s TV, the community watch is used to younger residents out running at 3am. Plus they are not a LEO, if they thought you were suspicious, they would call the local sheriff

Glad to see the guy was doing his job

[FG111]

Originally Posted by Marathon Man

Are you suggesting that they should have stopped and held you? Was there reasonable cause to do so?

Running in the middle of the night, no-one else in area, dark clothes, in a dark area, at a closed business and your asking if my behavior constituted probable cause for a stop and investigate. Wow, you would of had made a great street cop!

To John_W Thank you sir for an excellent response and explanation. Once again, thanks.

[Number 10 GI]

A few nights ago I got a call at 3:00 AM from community watch asking about my garage door being open and if I knew it was open. I had been in the garage earlier in the night working on some things and thought I had closed the door. Had hit the button but didn't pay attention to see if it closed. Community watch stayed on the phone until I checked the garage to make sure there were no problems. I really appreciated the call, someone could have had a good time cleaning out stuff I keep in the garage.