BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. — Frustration is boiling over in Boynton Beach's Forest Park neighborhood, where residents attended a recent city commission meeting demanding answers about rising crime and stronger police presence.
"You're losing it, you're losing the battle with crime," one resident told commissioners during public comment, capturing the urgency neighbors say they're feeling.
WATCH: Longtime neighbors tell WPTV they're worried about recent rise in crime
Residents described recent incidents that have left them shaken.
"Last night we had an issue, I chased them for three blocks," the same resident said.
Longtime neighbors told city leaders they are worried their concerns have gone unheard for too long, with some even warning they may consider relocating if conditions don't improve.
"And now as a father, I ask myself, is this a place where I can raise my son?" another speaker said during the meeting.
WPTV spoke with residents in the Forest Park neighborhood following the meeting, where many described a growing sense of unease.
"Over the 40 years I've been here, it's been up and down," said resident Angela.
But others say recent incidents feel more alarming than in years past.
"We recently had a drive-by shooting and I've lived here since '97 and that's a first, and that was very disturbing," one neighbor said.
City leaders acknowledge more may need to be done. Commissioner Thomas Turkin is now requesting a full review of the police department's operations, with the goal of increasing police presence where it's needed most.
"The first thing I did was look at what the patrolling looked like from January to February," Turkin said.
According to Turkin, that review showed patrol activity dropped by about 30 percent during that time.
"It raises an extremely fair question about whether our current structure is maximizing the impact of the resources that we are investing in public safety," Turkin said.
For now, discussions remain in the early stages, but residents say their expectations are clear.
"I would love to see more patrol, I would love to know that the response time is fast," one resident said.
Turkin says he has asked the city manager to move forward with the evaluation. Residents in Forest Park say they will be watching closely to see what changes come next.
