The Royal Palm Beach Village Council meeting on Thursday, May 16, featured the presentation of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s District 9 Annual Report by PBSO Capt. Ulrich Naujokus.
Naujokus attended the meeting alongside Crime Intelligence Analyst Harry Hook and Detective Sergeant Eric Keith, who made the introduction to the council.
“This is my 11th year here, and I’ve seen the topography and configuration of the village change dramatically since I’ve been here. The village has grown,” Naujokus said. “There’s more traffic, there’s more development. We’ve added a lot… And I want to thank the men and women who work here. This job is now more dangerous than when I first started.”
While the overall crime rate in Royal Palm Beach remains very low, Naujox expressed concern about scams targeting seniors. The crime index rose 1 percent from last year, from 585 to 596. But compared to 10 years ago, the index is nearly half what it was in 2013.
The local Citizen Watch Patrol (COP) has 10 active members, but Naujox hopes to recruit more volunteers and has room to grow. In 2023, the COP provided 704 volunteer hours, valued at $22,387.
Naujokus confirmed that after reviewing detailed crime statistics, the increase was mainly due to theft.
“The spike in thefts in the village is due to thefts or attempted thefts of warehouses, all of which had locks cut,” he explained, adding that 32 of the 47 cases of business theft, or 68 percent, were warehouse thefts. “It’s theft even if there’s no break-in.”
Essentially, PBSO counts incidents regardless of whether property was stolen or not.
Naujox urged residents and council to read the June newsletter to see the strategic plan for District 9, which includes a revitalized Neighborhood Watch program.
Other businesses:
- City Council Member Jan Rodusky was recently awarded the 2024 Home Rule Hero Award by the Florida League of Cities, Mayor Fred Pinto said, adding that the National League of Cities is visiting 100 cities across the country and Royal Palm Beach is part of that special bus tour.
- Two requests were approved by public art expert Mario Lopez Pisani: the installation of a new public art piece and the relocation of a public art piece from within the Reflection Pool to the north end of the Village Hall pool. The piece, titled “Rooted” by artist Beth Nybeck, is an 11-foot-tall sculpture that will be subject to direct input from Royal Palm Beach residents prior to construction.
- The council issued a proclamation for National Public Works Week, drawing attention to the importance of the service public workforce provides to contribute to the safety, health and quality of life of our communities.
