Uniform Svcs Programs

UNIFORM SERVICES: Programs & Units

PALM STAR

Palm is an identifier for Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office
Star is the acronym for Systematically Tracking and Assessing Results

The Palm Star Program was designed in an effort to ensure effective and efficient delivery of law enforcement services to the Palm Beach County community. Palm Star is a system specially aimed to systematically approach, track, and assess crime-related cases and service delivery. Palm Star also provides management information, utilized to enhance overall productivity.

The Palm Star staff is committed to assisting Law Enforcement Commanders to provide the lead in efficiently organizing, funding and executing the district's various goals and objectives. The use of the designed system increases the accurate transfer of information and affords other districts an opportunity to share ideas. Palm Star serves as the catalyst for initiating improvements in service delivery.

MOUNTED CITIZEN OBSERVER PATROL (COP) UNIT

The newly established Mounted COP Unit utilizes 102 trained volunteers. Volunteers work in areas that traditionally have a large horse riding population. In 1998, the communities of Loxahatchee, Palm Beach Country Estates, and Jupiter Farms were provided the services of the Mounted COP Units.

The Mounted COP Units in these Mounted COP Volunteer communities patrol much the same as other COP Units throughout the county, except that they do so on horeseback. Each unit has a cellular telephone to report problems within the community to the Sheriff's Office Units also may report potential hazards within their community to the appropriate agency, such as missing traffic control devices, roadway damage, or illegal dumping. The Mounted COP Unit is a valuable resource to help raise awareness of problems within neighborhoods, and to achieve neighborhood commitment to assist in maintaining a high quality of life for all citizens..

TRUANCY INTERDICTION PROGRAM (TIP)

This program, a combined effort of Palm Beach County Law Enforcement Agencies and School Board personnel, seeks to confront the growing truancy problem in our county. There are five truancy sites located in Palm Beach Gardens, West Palm Beach, Wellington, Belle Glade, and Delray Beach. A site for Boca Raton is in the planning stages.

Each site has one or more officers specially trained to take custody of truants from local police, evaluate the reasons for the student's lack of school attendance, and contact the parents to pick the child up at the center. Truancy is a growing problem, and it is believed truant youths are major contributors to the incidence of daytime crimes in neighborhoods throughout the county. The Palm Beach Sheriffs's Office operates the Wellington and Delray Beach sites, and will be responsible for the Boca Raton site when opened.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE UNIT
DOMESTIC ABUSE RESPONSE TEAM (DART)

The Domestic Violence Unit coordinates the training and tracking of the Domestic Abuse Response Team, comprised of specially trained officers from each geographic patrol district. These officers respond to particularly violent or repeated incidents of domestic violence within their patrol districts. They are trained and equipped to gather evidence such as recorded statements or photographs to assemble a prosecutable case against domestic abusers..

The Domestic Violence Coordinator provides information and assistance to state and county legislatures and governing bodies tasked with enacting domestic violence law, and to the County or Circuit Judges and State Attorney's Office who deal with these cases. There are 73 trained DART Officers at the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.

FIELD TRAINING PROGRAM

The Field Training Program prepares newly hired law enforcement officers to efficiently and effectively perform their job duties as solo beat officers. Additionally, the Field Training Program familiarizes and trains newly promoted sergeants and deputies to carry out new duties and responsibilities.

Employees are evaluated daily as they participate in the Field Training Program. The Program ensures individualized, as well as customized training for all participants. During 1998, 99 employees were trained in the 16-week Field Training Program. The Field Training Program is valuable to the agency, its employees, and the public.

EAGLE ACADEMY

Eagle Academy Campus

The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office Eagle Academy is a 100-bed residential facility designed for at-risk boys, ages 13 to 16. Academy residents participate in a structured regimen, in an effort to improve negative youth behavior and eliminate criminal involvement in the community, at school and at home.

The Eagle Academy provides a challenging residential and academic environment promoting a military model of self-esteem, team building, personal growth and follow-up intervention. In the 1998, 63 youths successfully completed and graduated from the nine month long program.

YOUTH BOXING PROGRAM

The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office Police Athletic Youth Boxing Program offers a non-threatening environment for youths ages 8 to 19. This positive program uses boxing as a tool to instill the values of honesty, integrity, good sportsmanship, academic success and discipline. The PAL Boxing Team competes in area tournaments.

SERIOUS HABITUAL OFFENDER COMPREHENSIVE ACTION PROGRAM (SHOCAP)

The newly started SHOCAP program is designed to track serious repeat youthful offenders through a database developed for that purpose. Law enforcement agencies throughout the county provide information for the database, and have access to this intelligence when needed.

Local law enforcement believes that as much as one-third of all crimes attributed to youthful offenders are committed by a small percentage of repeat offenders. The program provides a monthly updated list of chronic juvenile offenders to law enforcement agencies, the state attorney, school board police and other affiliated organizations.

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