August 2010 Safety Committee Report

National Night Out Planned 
National Night Out, "America's Night Out Against Crime" will take place throughout Texas, including San Antonio and Finesilver Ranch, Tuesday 5 October.  The FSR Safety Committee and FSR Social Committee team-up again to coordinate this annual crime prevention event.  We're hoping for several block parties, so look for future posts and fliers to announce locations.  If you would like to host a pot luck during NNO, call Association Management Services (829-7202) or email FSRsafety@yahoogroups.com.

Pillar Replaced
The stone pillar at the entry gate was struck for the last time, 20 August.  A city garbage truck toppled the gate as it entered FSR for collection rounds.  Since then, the stonework was replaced by material similar to the gates themselves.  The new arrangement allows more clearance for vehicles maneuvering through the visitor gate and, if struck in the future, will allow for easier and less costly repair.

Cellular on Patrol Activity
Volunteers conducted three late night patrols during August. Teams alerted homeowners to open garage doors, reminded youth of the city's 11:00 pm curfew, and contacted vehicle owners about suspicious circumstances.  The COP is always open to new volunteers. Call AMS (829-7202) or email FSRsafety@yahoogroups.com for more information.

Blue Armor Patrol Summary
Officers conducted routine security patrols, monitored Finesilver Dr for speeders and stop sign violations, and reminded youth of park hours.  No suspicious activity was observed.

SAPD Responses
Police responded to 15 calls for service in Finesilver Ranch. There were 19 calls during August last year.  The 2009 call average was 12 per month. 

See "SAFD Responses" below for a vehicle vs pedestrian incident.

Other calls included the garbage truck vs pillar accident, six alarms (presumably false), an unspecified theft on Bakerswood, a disturbance and a separate report of criminal mischief at the same address on Atwell Park, and two miscellaneous reports.

A suspicious person was reported at Sweetwood and Finesilver, 11:10 am, 6 August; and a suspicious vehicle was reported on Birchbrook, at about 12:40 am, 15 August.

Police responded to the Greenbriar neighborhood near Nichols ES on four occasions for an injured or sick person and three "miscellaneous" cases.
Greenbriar, with about 1/4 the number of homes as Finesilver Ranch, is the closest gated community and presumably has similar demographics for crime reporting comparison.

Sex Offender Watch
As of this post, there are no registered sex offenders residing in FSR.

SAFD Responses
Firefighters were dispatched to Finesilver Ranch three times during August.

An engine and a medic unit responded at about 2:15 am, 22 August to a person struck by a car near the intersection of Bakerswood and Birchbrook.  According to the SAFD report, their patient presented minor injuries after being dragged 20 feet by a vehicle as he was attempting to stop the driver. The patient did not require transportation, so the ambulance was cancelled enroute.  Police also made the scene, but further information is not available.

Under less urgent circumstances, a truck was dispatched to close the entry gate on 31 August at about 2:30 pm.  The gate was secured using their key box.  The FSR Safety Committee recommends calling Association Management Services (829-7202) when gate problems are noted.

The third Fire/EMS response was an unspecified medical call.  

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Questions or concerns? Post a comment on the Blog, email FSRsafety@yahoogroups.com, or call Association Management Services (829-7202)

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September 2009 Safety Committee Report

Driver Damages Edgecreek Property
On 3 September, a homeowner on Edgecreek reported a vehicle had left the road and "bumped" into his house. Photos revealed extensive damage to the lawn and shrubbery.

SAPD took a report. The driver returned to the scene several hours later to offer restitution.

Gate Pillar Struck
On 30 September a lawn service contractor struck the stone pillar separating the entry gates. Gate video recorded the hit & run. Association Management Services contacted the owner who is debating compensation.

According to Safety Committee records, the gate was struck seven times over the past two years, including the latest incident 11 October. On three occasions the stone pillar was damaged.

Some residents wonder if a new traffic pattern or gate operation is needed; the FSR HOA Board is investigating the need/cost/benefit.

Cellular on Patrol
Volunteers conducted routine patrols on a weekly basis. There was nothing significant to report.

Mike Snedeker will conclude his tenure as lead for FSR's COP team next month. Many thanks to Mike for forming the team of 18 "regulars" and scheduling training and patrols.

Residents, especially current COP members, are invited to lead the team. Call Association Management Services (829-7202) for contact information.

The next Cellular on Patrol class will be at SAPD's Prue Rd Substation, 12 and 19 November. Any San Antonio resident may register directly or through the Safety Committee. Please call AMS if you are interested in joining FSR's COP.

Blue Armor Patrol Summary
A security officer warned a pizza delivery driver for speeding on Sweetwood, 24 September.

On 29 September, an officer discovered the community center men's bathroom door unlocked. There was no sign of vandalism.

SAPD Responses
Police responded to 10 calls for service to Finesilver Ranch during September, compared to 11 calls during September last year. The monthly average for 2008 was 14 responses.

The relatively light call load included five alarms, an unspecified criminal mischief, a disturbance at Braun and Finesilver, and three miscellaneous reports. Two of the miscellaneous calls were related to the aforementioned Edgecreek incident.

The Greenbriar neighborhood near Nichols ES recorded a theft and one miscellaneous call.

Greenbriar, with about 1/4 the number of homes of Finesilver Ranch is the closest gated community and, presumably, has similar demographics for crime reporting comparison purposes.

Sex Offender Watch
No registered sex offenders live in Finesilver Ranch as of this post.

SAFD Responses
San Antonio Fire and EMS responded to one medical call in FSR during August. For September, there was a medical response and a 911 hang-up call.

Follow FSRsafety on Twitter
Join Twitter and follow FSRsafety to receive time sensitive announcements of neighborhood safety and crime prevention concerns online and via text message.

This month, FSRsafety issued 11 "tweets" on public safety interests occurring in and immediately surrounding Finesilver Ranch.

Subscribe to the FSR Safety Committee Blog and follow on Twitter for updates throughout the month.

June 2009 Safety Committee Report

Vehicle Burglaries
Police logs indicate five autos were burglarized in Finesilver Ranch between 2:00 and 4:00 am, 21 June. Considering anecdotal reporting, burglars may have struck as many as seven vehicles. All of the break-ins occurred on the south side of the neighborhood in front of homes on Atwell Park, Burnwood, Sweetwood, and Twinpost.

Items stolen range from professional sound equipment to portable electronics. The full extent of property damage/ loss and other details are unknown pending release of official reports.

One family reported the burglars opened a garage door at about 3:00 am using a remote that was stowed in a vehicle parked outside. The homeowner's dogs deterred the burglars from entering the garage or other parts of the home. The thieves departed before a description or other details could be obtained.

A review of gate video during the 2:00 - 4:00 am time frame was inconclusive. On this particular night, Blue Armor Security and FSR's Cellular on Patrol neighborhood watch team did not conduct patrols during this time period.

The best advice to protect against vehicle burglaries comes from an official SAPD slogan: "Leave it, Lose it." See previous posts for additional information on vehicle burglaries in FSR.

Truck Damages Gate Stonework
The driver of a moving van clipped the stone pillar at the gate on 16 June. Despite video which clearly captures the hit and run, company officials continue to ignore the board's request for restitution. The board is pressing charges.

Solicitors Return
An Aquafuzion water purification system salesperson conducted door-to-door solicitations 26 June. Using tactics similar to those used last April, the solicitor falsely claimed to be conducting water tests on behalf of local utility companies in order to gain confidence in the product.

Please report solicitors to SAPD (207-7273) and Association Management Services (829-7202). AMS will request a Blue Armor Security response to remove them from the neighborhood.

Cellular on Patrol
Volunteers conducted weekly neighborhood watch patrols. No suspicious activity was observed; however some grateful residents were reminded to close garage doors.

Blue Armor Patrol Summary
Security officers continued random daily patrols of FSR -- monitoring traffic, raising awareness to property vulnerabilities, and patrolling the park on foot.

Officers monitored traffic flow at the conclusion of the FSR Torpedo Swim Team's final home meet, 16 June. This was in response to a neighbor's valid concern that the rush of traffic associated with about 200 swimmers presented a hazard.

SAPD Responses
Police responded to 18 calls for service to FSR during June compared to 13 calls during June last year. The monthly average for 2008 was 14 responses. The above average responses reflect the vehicle burglaries, with at least five reported to SAPD. Incidentally, another resident reported a vehicle break-in while parked at an apartment complex on Babcock Rd.

Also recorded by SAPD during June were two minor accidents, one on Burnwood and another at Finesilver and Braun Rds, plus the gate hit & run. There were six alarm calls, one call marked "miscellaneous," and a mistaken 911 call.

Finally, a suspicious vehicle on Cove Creek prompted a call to police. At about 11:30 pm, Saturday, 25 June, a teen aged male was approached by an adult male driving a dark colored SUV who offered a ride. SAPD took a report and the Safety Committee later reviewed gate video, to no avail.

SAPD logged four calls to the Greenbriar neighborhood near Nichols ES. Residents there reported a home burglary and an unrelated vehicle burglary occurring on 15 and 25 June respectively. There were also a disturbance and a suspicious vehicle.

Greenbriar, with about 1/4 the number of homes of Finesilver Ranch is the closest gated community and, presumably, has similar demographics for crime reporting comparison purposes.

Sex Offender Watch
No registered sex offenders live in Finesilver Ranch as of this post.

SAFD Responses
There were no fire/ EMS calls to FSR.

Follow FSRsafety on Twitter: http://twitter.com/FSRsafety
The Safety Committee joined the social networking scene on Twitter, an Internet application that offers a text messaging broadcast capability. Residents may now receive time sensitive announcements of neighborhood safety and crime prevention concerns via text message.

These "microblog" messages are also remotely posted to fsrsafety.blogspot.com providing on-the-spot reporting and highlighting announcements which do not warrant more complete narratives. Twitter users may follow FSRsafety updates by clicking the link on the right panel of the Safety Committee blog.

Subscribe to the FSR Safety Committee Blog and follow on Twitter for updates throughout the month.