Crime down despite rise in vehicle thefts

Crime is down in North Lauderdale overall, but there has been a spike in motor vehicle thefts.

The city saw a 9 percent decrease in overall crime in 2016, North Lauderdale Police Chief Brian Faer told city officials as he presented Broward Sheriff’s Office annual report for the year.

However, the number of motor vehicle thefts went up from 212 in 2015 to 252. Therewas an increase in robberies aswell, from54 to 74.

There was a substantial decrease in larceny cases, with the number going down from 523 to 351. Cases involving forcible sex went up from23 to 29.

The increase in motor vehicle thefts is not limited to the city and is a countywide issue, Faer said.

Asking residents to be aware of the dangers of buying and selling items through apps such as OfferUp and Craigslist, Faer encouraged them to meet strangers in public places such as the police station lobby.

Thereweremore than 1,062 arrests in the city last year. The North Lauderdale district, which handled 25,000 calls, had the second-highest crime clearance rate among all the BSO districts, Faer said. The department was able to seize more than 20 firearms from felons, identify 40 unknown felons and seize over 4,000 grams of marijuana.

Businesses in the city have been encouraged to leave their cash registers open and empty as part of the district’s “Open and Empty” program, said Faer. The district handled 25,000 calls in 2016, he added.

The district intends to enforce traffic lawswith regard to off-road vehicles such as dirt bikes and all terrain vehicles, Faer said. As part of the efforts to ensure traffic safety, the district issued 6,444 citations last year. Assigning deputies for ticket blitzes in high crash areas is also part of the plans for 2017.

As many as 1,417 traffic citations were issued between February and May this year, Faer said. Twelve percent of the citations were issued along Southwest 81st Avenue while five percent were issued along Boulevard of Champions. Four of the give top crash locations in the city are alongMcNab Road, Faer added.

Vice Mayor Lorenzo Wood wanted the police to address late night speeding his district. “The numbers show that the enforcement is there, but the problem is persistent,” he said. “It starts at about11:00 at night. It is not one or two cars.”

Commissioner Rich Moyle wanted the police to look into some kind of traffic calming device on the Blvd. of Champions. Drivers are treating it like a race track, he added.

asivasankaran@ sun-sentinel.com