SECURITY ISSUES

Berkshire Lakes has organized a Safety and Security Committee with Linda Benoff as Chairperson to evaluate possible areas of security and safety that can be recommended to the BLMA Board for implementation to improve the overall safety of our community and our residents.  The committee work hard and diligently and their efforts make Berkshire Lakes a leader in Safety and Security.

Neighborhood Watch (NHW): To report crimes in progress, please call the Sheriff at 911. For non-emergencies, such as suspicious activity or to report vandalism, call 774-4434. After you call the Sheriff, please report the incident or observation to the BLMA Office at 353-7633. We are maintaining a history file of this activity for interested Residents. Also, you may report criminal activity anonymously, via TIPS email at www.colliersheriff.org or call 775-8477.

6 new NHW signs are installed near our 3 entrances, at the Clubhouse and at 2 intersections. Newcastle also has new NHW signs in their community. 13 new signs are installed in our Turtle Preserve, opposite Vancouver (3) and in our I-75 Preserve, at Newcastle (10): They say ‘NO TRESPASSING, PRIVATE PROPERTY, PRESERVE AREA, BERKSHIRE LAKES MASTER ASSOC, INC’. These signs will allow us to prosecute trespassers. The Sheriff may patrol the Preserve Areas, by BLMA request or at their discretion. To avoid arrest while in the Preserve Areas, Residents should carry Identification, showing their Name and Berkshire Lakes address.  Both Preserve Area perimeter fences have been repaired, the I-75 Preserve wire fence by Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and the Turtle Preserve wooden fence, by the BLMA Vendor. Also, the Maintenance Building window wire mesh and chain link fence are repaired.

Patrols: The only volunteer patrols, sanctioned by BLMA outside of our 8 Condo Communities, are ‘Community Observer Patrols (COP), sponsored by the Sheriff. Volunteers wear uniforms and drive marked vehicles equipped with a cell phone, all provided by the Sheriff. COP Members have no law enforcement ability or powers. They are the eyes and ears of law enforcement. They must pass a background check and training requirements. 2 of our BLMA residents have met the requirements. You may see them soon in the COP vehicle. If you are interested in participating, please contact the Office for a copy of the COP brochure. Newcastle has new magnetic signs for their volunteers to place on their cars, while patrolling within their own community. Contact their directors or management company for information.

Crime Prevention Analysis: The Sheriff’s analysis of BLMA common areas highlighted deficiencies in our FPL street lighting, due to varying degrees of foliage blocking. S&S Committee Members inspected their own areas, finding 13 street lights not functioning and 65 with foliage blocking, some partial and some complete. FPL has repaired 13 lights. Residents may request street light repairs by calling FPL at 262-1322 and providing the street address and FPL pole number. Neither FPL nor Collier County will trim or prune trees blocking street lights. By request, Collier County may remove a tree, if the tree trunk and roots are within the County right of way.  Residents are requested to have all foliage, which is blocking FPL street lights, to be trimmed or pruned professionally, by a company with an arborist. If the FPL pole is on a property line, the adjacent neighbors are asked to share the responsibility. BLMA has hired such a company to prune the foliage, which is blocking our street lights, in the Clubhouse parking lot.

Safety tips: Please walk on side walks, where they are available, instead of the roads. Please ride anything with wheels on the right side of the road, with the traffic. Criss-crossing the road is dangerous. Please walk on the left side of the road, facing traffic. Remember: ‘R’ Ride on the Right and ‘L’ waLk on the Left. Please wear light colored clothing or a reflective safety vest at night and carry a flashlight. Make sure bicycles have lights and reflectors. Avoid walking alone at night. When riding bicycles on our bike paths, please warn walkers as you approach them from behind and pass them slowly. Motorized vehicles of any kind are not permitted on our bike paths or sidewalks.

BLMA S&S Communications: A Bulletin Board has been installed on the wall opposite the Office entrance. It has items of interest for both Security & Safety, including recent Alerts from the Sheriff for ‘Sexual Predators’, ‘Stranger Danger’ and Burglaries. The Alerts are also distributed to Residents via email by the Office staff, on request. This BLMA Newsletter will continue to present S&S information. 

If you observe wrongdoing call the sheriff’s office at 911 then call the BLMA office.  For routine, non-urgent reports to the sheriff’s office use 774-4434

LINKS TO THE COLLIER COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND STATE RECORDS

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