Foundation Accomplishments

POLICE GOLF CAR With Community Outreach in mind, Chief Smith made a request of the Police Foundation in February, 2020 to fund the purchase of a Police Golf Car. In his grant request he cited "Increased Police visibility, quality of life, patrolling of large events and the setup and staging of major Town functions" as the proposed uses of the vehicle. Chief Smith noted to the Board that he would like to further increase the interactions between his Officers and the community. This was of course prior to the current “Social Distancing” that the Coronavirus has brought about. The Juno Beach Police Foundation was quick to respond to the Chief’s request and funded the purchase of a street legal Club Car Golf Car fully outfitted for Police patrols. The new vehicle is currently doing patrols along Ocean Drive, Kagen Park, and around Pelican Lake. Look for even further deployment and use of the vehicle in the months and years to come.	POLICE ALL TERRAIN VEHICLE In order to properly patrol the beach front of Juno Beach and the Natural Areas off US Highway 1, the Police Department needed a new All Terrain Vehicle capable of off-road patrols. In his grant request Chief Smith cited a need to protect both the beach and those individuals who utilize the beach, but also the Marine Life Center and the Pier that both have access from the beach. In additions, patrols in the three Natural Areas of Juno Beach needed a off-road vehicle which would replace the current and aging ATV The Juno Beach Police Foundation was asked to fund the Chief’s request as it was not currently in the Town budget. The Foundation reviewed the request and by unanimous consent agreed to make the funds available for the immediate purchase. The new ATV is currently doing patrols along on the beachfront as well as in Juno Dunes off of US Highway 1. As the beach becomes more and more replenished in the months to come, it will be seen more often patrolling up and down from the Seminole Golf Club to the Pier.
FIREARMS TRAINING SIMULATOR The Juno Beach Police Department came to the Police Foundation in July 2020 and asked us to purchase a Firearms Training Simulator to be use to assist in the training our police officers in the most dangerous part of their job. Our Officers have an outdoor range on Rolling Green Road but that is primarily used for target practice. They needed a Firearms Simulator that would allow them to create and practice with real life scenarios that they might encounter in the course of everyday patrols in the Town of Juno Beach. The Police Foundation reviewed the Grant Request and subsequently approved Chief Smith's need. The Firearms simulator was purchased from a Florida based vendor and came with rave reviews from other Florida Law Enforcement agencies that had already purchased the system for use in their community. The simulator was put into service in Juno Beach in September of 2020 and is now available and in use by the members of the Juno Beach Police Department. Our Officers have a difficult job ensuring our safety. This system will help them to home and improve their skills and be ready for any situation should the need arise.	POLICE DRONE As technology advances, it typically does so in all areas of life - including of course Law Enforcement. Among one of the most recent advances is the use of small unmanned aerial vehicles, referred to as sUAV's - or more commonly Police Drones. In January of 2020 Chief Smith came to the Police Foundation with a request citing the following as the need for such a tool. ~ Search and Rescue operations for missing persons, especially for children and persons with special needs ~ Locating suspects in the commission of a crime or suspected criminals attempting escape ~ Monitoring of major events for the safety of the attendees ~ Facilitating the setup and staging of large events ~ Assisting other Law Enforcement agencies with mutual aid upon request The application of drones equipped with optical, zoom, and thermal cameras allow law enforcement agencies to be more effective and to have a better vantage point during times of chaotic situations where deploying ground personnel is too risky. The Juno Beach Police Foundation was quick to repond to the Chief’s request and funded the purchase of a DJI Matrice Drone with a 30X camera and a Zenmuse XT2 thermal imaging camera. Both are state of the art in the industry. The Drone went into operation as soon as received and three Officers are now trained and certified by the FAA to fly.
AUTOMATIC DEFIBRILLATORS Soon after the formation of the Police Foundation, we received a grant request from the Police Department to help fund AED’s for each of the Town’s police cars. The Police Department already had AED’s in their patrol vehicles but those units were donated by Palm Beach County Fire Rescue over ten years ago. The technology in those devices was old and the batteries, as well as some of the units themselves, were starting to fail. It was time for replacement. The Police Foundation was pleased to step in and fund the replacement units that are now in each of our Town's patrol vehicles.	POLICE TRAUMA KITS The second Grant Request from the Juno Beach Police Department was for the purchase of Trauma Kits for our police officers/police vehicles. As was mentioned with regard to the AED's, our police officers are often on scene at traumatic incidents several minutes before Fire-Rescue. It's important therefore that our officers have the medical supplies needed to initially treat everything from gunshot and stabbing wounds, to minor cuts and abrasions. Read more here! Whether it be an automobile crash, a beach injury or some major type of puncture wound, our officers will now be able to provide assistance in those critical minutes before the paramedics arrive.
POLICE BALISTIC HELMETS Another Grant Request from the Juno Beach Police Department was for the purchase of ballistic helmets for our police officers. Juno Beach police officers are currently equipped with active shooter ballistic vests that help mitigate high powered rifle shots. But surveys and interviews with convicted felons show that cop-killers are aware of that and are now more focused on head-shots. It’s important therefore that our officers have all the proper equipment they need to keep themselves safe as they fight on a daily basis to keep us safe. The Ballistic helmets purchased by the Police Foundation complete the “active shooter kits” that are a part of our officers everyday carry. It is yet another key element in keeping them... and by extension, us safe. The Police Foundation was pleased to be able to provide this important piece of equipment to the wonderful men and women of the Juno Beach Police Department.	CPR TRAINING MANEQUINS The Juno Beach Police Department came to the Police Foundation and asked us to purchase CPR Mannequins to be use to train our police officers and interested members of the community. Our police officers are often on scene at cardiac incidents several minutes before Fire-Rescue. Therefore it is important that our officers have the medical training needed to immediately deal with the situation. The Police Foundation reviewed Chief Smith's request and was pleased to provide the funds for this vey important and necessary training equipment. Classes for Police Officers as well as other interested groups within the Town of Juno Beach are now being conducted on a regular basis.

“Public safety is our most important value because it makes everything else possible. When we feel safe, we get to know our neighbors. When we feel safe, our kids are free to explore. When we feel safe, our businesses can thrive. When we feel safe, our schools can be woven more deeply into the community. When we feel safe we are more open to accept people who look, worship or act differently than us.

Public safety is our most basic community service and the irony is that the better we deliver the service the less people think about it. The children who walk safely to school, the neighbors who walk to the corner store, the commuter who walks home from the bus or train late at night, the senior citizen sitting safely on their front porch at sunset rarely think that they can only enjoy this kind of life because of the protection provided by their local police officers. In our daily life, we usually think about our police when something has gone wrong… When an officer dies or when he or she makes a mistake.

So it takes a special person to be a police officer—a person who can protect and serve, with strength and compassion, often without that recognition—willingly ready to put themselves in harm’s way so others can go about their daily lives.”

— Former Nassau County (NY) Police Commissioner, Lawrence Mulvey