EDITOR'S NOTE: After this story was published, West Palm Beach Police contacted WPTV to say they increased patrols in the North End prior to Flick's letter based on their own crime statistics.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - North End resident Carl Flick knows each neighborhood like the back of his hand. “I’ve lived here 30 years,” Flick told Contact 5’s crime investigator Merris Badcock.
“It goes from mansions on the coast, to modest homes up in the center. There is a great sense of small town community here. Everybody knows one another.”
Despite its proximity to the Intracoastal Waterway and diverse offerings in store for home buyers, there is one problem the North End can’t seem to totally shake off: crime.
RELATED:
* West Palm community working together to address uptick in violent crimes
* Teen volunteers hit the streets to clean up their North End neighborhoods
“It is a great community that has this one failing,” said Flick. “And that is in dealing with crime.”
Flick isn’t just a neighborhood watchdog. He’s a certified urban planner and president of the Northwood Shores Neighborhood Association.
Analyzing crime numbers provided by the West Palm Beach Police Department, Flick analyzed crime trends in the North End.
He found in 2016, 46 percent of all crimes that happened in West Palm Beach, happened in the North End. In 2018, that number went up to 48 percent.
“I think that increasing the number of patrols and resources devoted to a high crime is the first step,” said Flick.
In a letter to the new West Palm Beach police chief, Flick made his point, arguing that if 48 percent of all crimes happen in the North End, maybe that part of town deserved 48 percent of all patrols.
WPTV reached out to the police department. A spokesperson confirmed they had already increased patrols in the North End based on their own crime data.
Adderley also met with Northwood Shores residents earlier this week at a community meeting.
Aside from an increase in patrols, Adderley had another strategy on how to fight crime.
“When you get into high crime, drugs, street violence, as soon as they see the police, everyone is on alert,” Adderley said. “So, we have undercover people in those areas that will be there when the crimes are being committed, and we can then take law enforcement action.”
“This is a great community, and we have this one stumbling block,” said Flick. “If we can solve this one issue, then this area will flourish.”
A spokesperson with the police department also said they have assigned a lieutenant liaison, Lt. Bullard, to the North End, who is there specifically to talk to residents.
They also have a Community Police Officer for the North End, Officer Sarah Burgoon.
North End residents with concerns can contact Burgoon at (561) 402-4796 and Bullard by calling the non-emergency number at the police department.
