LTC 150-2004 Burglaries on North Bay Road
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
Office of the City Manager
Letter to Commission No. 150-2004
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From:
Mayor David Dermer and
Members of the City Commission
Jorge M. Gonzalez lfL~
City Manager
Date: June 17, 2004
To:
Subject: BURGLARIES ON NORTH BAY ROAD
The purpose of this LTC is to respond to an e-mail sent to each of you from Bill Farkas and
Beth Dunlop, residents at 5851 North Bay Road, regarding recent burglaries that have
taken place along North Bay Road. A copy of their e-mail is attached.
The Police Department has increased the uniform patrol presence in the area as well as
assigning plain clothes detectives in unmarked cars for additional surveillance. The
motorcycle units will also be conducting enhanced traffic enforcement in the neighborhood.
The investigations thus far of the recent burglaries have produced fingerprints which have
been matched to a possible subject who lives in the North District of our city. Probable
cause exists for this subject's arrest and detectives are actively attempting to locate him.
Wanted Person Flyers have been distributed to all Police officers. This subject may be
responsible for at least two burglaries in the area and possibly more.
The Police Department will continue to saturate the area with all available resources until
the subject or subjects are apprehended.
If you need any additional information or have any questions, please feel free to contact
me or Police Chief Don De Lucca.
JMG\DWD\tr
Attachment
c: Beth Dunlop and Bill Farkas, 5851 N. Bay Road
f/cmgr/$alllltc04/burglaries in north beach
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Message
Page 1 ofl
Walters, Pauline
Subject: FW: burglaries on Upper North Bay Road
5851 N Bay Road
Miami Beach Florida 33140
12 June 2004
To Mayor David Dermer, Commissioners Matti Bower, Saul Gross, Simon Cruz, Jose Smith, Luis Garcia, Richard Steinberg, and
City Manager Jorge Gonzalez:
Since May 17, we have been the victims of a home invasion burglary and an attempted burglary both in the middle of the day.
The home invasion was particularly heinous and scary as our son, home on his summer vacation from Yale, was asleep in his bed
while the burglars broke in. The burglars were in the house when my husband, Bill Farkas, came home for to take him to an
appointment with an oral surgeon.
We are not the only victims of noontime burglaries on North Bay Road; I know of at least two others, and I'm told that there have
been as many as six burglaries or attempts just on Upper North Bay Road in the last month or so. This is both scary and
intolerable.
I am writing to request that there be at least one and preferably two or more decoy cars placed on the "dry side" of the street.
I would also request that a police patrol be assigned to this neighborhood during the lunch hour, approximately 10:45 a.m. to 1:15
p.m. (or so). Let me point out that in one burglary-at 5619 North Bay Road, the home of Robert and Charlotte Barrett-not only was
a window that is visible from the street smashed in, but also the burglars backed a car or truck up to the front door and IN PLAIN
VIEW OF THE STREET emptied dresser drawers and desk drawers into the vehicle, which-I reiterate-had been backed up across
the lawn to the front door. A patrolman cruising the street (or walking it or riding a bike up and down) would have noticed this.
Further, the burglars then left the front door wide open (it was discovered by the mail delivery person an hour or two later).
I realize that the police are pulled in many directions, but these are specific, identifiable threats to people and property. I work at
home, and am frequently in the house alone. Now I do so with the alarm on, in midday, and with a nervous knot in my stomach.
This is no way to live. Also, our son is away on a study program now but will be back in July to work (last summer he was an
unpaid interim with Graham Winick in the city film office, as well as with GenArt, plus he had a paid job at The Frieze) and is likely
to be home, sometimes alone, in the momings.
Right now, we are afraid to go to the grocery store midday. I am scared to leave for interviews or appointments. As I said, I am
fearful of being home alone in the middle of the day, but I am also fearful of leaving the house because I believe we are being
watched. I cannot take a midday swim, or work in the garden without anxiety, a vision of criminals bursting into my yard and
causing me harm. We are worried about going on vacation and leaving our house, even with an alarm system in operation.
There is an enormous amount of new construction along the street (as you know, I'd rather the old houses were there than these
new ones, but that's another story), and the contractors hire without background checks or any way to trace the workers (paid in
cash, etc.). This puts us in peril. I would hope that-since obviously we can't keep the criminals off our streets with so much
construction-that we could at least provide police protection for the law abiding citizens who live in Miami Beach's fine
neighborhoods.
Sincerely,
Beth Dunlop and
Bill Farkas
5851 N Bay Road
Miami Beach FL 33140
305861-7881
ps Your sister was the sketch artist who sat with my husband after the first burglary!
6/17/2004