Securing The Fun At Boca Raton Parks

Come to one of the District's parks for the fun and sun. Stay because they are safer than ever.

The District recently completed significant security upgrades at Sugar Sand Park, and similar improvements are coming to other District parks.

“The District considers security in our parks a top priority,” Commissioner Craig Ehrnst said.

Before making those upgrades, District officials consulted with a highly qualified source – the Boca Raton Police Department.

“The idea of working in cooperation with the police, I thought, was pretty cool,” Ehrnst said.

An officer who specializes in public safety toured Sugar Sand Park, providing specific ideas and actions designed to increase security.

Taking officer Ryan Jenney's recommendations, the District improved lighting in some park areas, added additional video cameras, improved sight lines, and increased or altered some plantings.

The state-of-the-art video cameras cover anywhere a vehicle can drive, along with places people congregate. They produce cutting edge high-resolution images during daylight or night.

“That camera system, we have it at our work building and it's phenomenal,” Ehrnst said.

Most impressively, the cameras offer Boca Raton police a real-time view of happenings within the park.

Brighter lighting around fields and other areas that visitors enjoy at night will help keep pedestrians safe, and strategically placed mirrors afford better awareness of surroundings.

Upgrades to other parks will continue in coming weeks, but visitors are encouraged to take responsibility for their own security by locking their car doors and removing valuable items from plain view.

By working together, District parks will continue to be some of the best and safest in the nation.