On April 14, around noon, two deputies, one in uniform, the other in plain clothes came into our property asking for permission to view our security camera DVR in order to solve a burglary. The burglary happened sometime between April 3 to April 7 at the Royal Palm Beach RV and boat storage facility. We gave permission with some reluctance on my part. After they left, I wondered why they came here in the first place.
The Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department Regional Pumping Facility #4100, located at 40th Street and 121st Terrace North, is way closer to the scene of the crime, and they must have much better cameras than ours. They have so many warning signs on their gate that it looks like Area 51. I’m sure their cameras would show a much better quality picture/video. Why didn’t they use those cameras instead? What about fingerprints, DNA and other physical evidence?
What bothered me the most about their visit was some questions that were asked at various times: my daughter’s name, the purpose of a security device in the room with the DVR and my husband’s place of employment. Of course, they were asked in an innocent manner, and we willingly gave the answers, but they seemed out of place and unprofessional.
At the end of the visit, the one deputy who came in the house decided they didn’t need a copy of the DVR footage after all because he already had a pretty good idea who committed the crime. Strange. Then why invade our privacy? We just want to live in peace and to feel safe. Is that too much to ask for here in Palm Beach County? In The Acreage? Sadly, my trust in the PBSO was lost about two years ago, even before Seth Adams’ death.
Christine Boyette, The Acreage
