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OTHER

PARTICIPANTS:
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Volusia County Department of Public Works
Total Comfort Heating & Air Conditioning

 

 

OTHER

PARTICIPANTS:
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Volusia County Department of Public Works
Total Comfort Heating & Air Conditioning

September 23, 2009
For immediate release
Contacts: Gary Davidson, Public Information Officer, Sheriff’s Office
Brian Hughes, EWS Market Area Sales Manager (352-219-8396)

DEPUTIES TEAM WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES  TO LAUNCH CRIME-FIGHTING INITIATIVE

Call it a mobile Neighborhood Watch on wheels. That’s the core concept behind a new crime-prevention program unveiled Wednesday by the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office and Emerald Waste Services (EWS). Dubbed Operation BOLO, or Businesses On the Look Out, the initiative taps into the business community by training workers to act as eyes and ears that can help deputies spot and deter crime. “This is a joint effort. They give us information and we let them know what we’re looking for,” Volusia County Sheriff Ben Johnson said during a news conference Wednesday morning to kick off the new program. “These are the men and women who are out there every day and see what’s going on.” 

Under the new public safety program, hundreds of vigilant observers specially trained to spot law-breakers will be scouring local neighborhoods to deter crime. The observers will include trash collectors, repairmen and service technicians trained by the Sheriff’s Office on how to spot the tell-tale signs of a crime or other public safety emergency. Suspicious activity will be called in to the Sheriff’s Office so a deputy can be dispatched to investigate. The program is being jointly sponsored by the Sheriff’s Office and EWS. Others participating in the initial launch of the program include the Volusia County Department of Public Works and Total Comfort Heat & Air Conditioning. The Sheriff’s Office plans to expand the program as additional businesses and organizations come on-board. 

The Sheriff’s Office launched the training earlier this month, instructing participants on such things as spotting people and vehicles that are out of place as well as other potential signs of a crime, such as a broken window or open garage or car door. Participants also are trained to look for distinguishing features -- such as scars, tattoos and facial hair on people and license plate numbers, stickers, decals or dents on vehicles -- in order to assist deputies in their investigation. The Sheriff’s Office also will be able to disseminate information to participants about wanted persons or vehicles that they want the drivers to look for. Operation BOLO, however, isn’t just about crime. Participants also are being instructed to watch for accidents or medical emergencies.  For Emerald Waste Services, which helped initiate the program, Operation BOLO is a way for their employees to become even more involved in the community. EWS services nearly 45,000 residential customers in the unincorporated areas of Volusia County. “We’re in these neighborhoods three to four times per-week, every week,” Brian Hughes, market area sales manager for Emerald Waste Services, said at Wednesday’s news conference. “We thought this would be another way of giving back to the community by offering a peace of mind to the residents. …Their trash company, Emerald Waste Services, is keeping an eye on their residences and helping to safeguard their homes.” 

Following the news conference, the Sheriff’s Office launched into a training session with a group of local workers who assembled at the agency’s Deputy Stephen Saboda Training Center. Sheriff Johnson thanked the group for their participation. “The information you bring us from the streets can save lives,” Sheriff Johnson told the class. “The crime you solve today may keep you from becoming a victim tomorrow.” 

Businesses interested in participating in Operation BOLO can contact Captain Mike Coffin at (386) 736-5961.

 

                                                       

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