Opossums, Squirrels and Skunks - Oh my!

A resident called Association Management Services, 30 January asking if the HOA will pay for a service to trap a skunk roaming the Boundbrook area of Finesilver Ranch. AMS learned such a service costs $89 per trap and would incur unintended consequences, such as attracting stray domestics and even more wild animals to the same bait intended for the skunk.

The FSR Board of Directors defers to the city's approach in handling nuisance wildlife. According to the City of San Antonio Animal Care Services website, citizens are referred to Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation, a non-profit whose services may be reached at

698-1709 or (830)336-2725. The organization offers these Tips for Dealing with Urban Wildlife.

Residents are urged to use discretion when protecting their property and pets from this nuisance. Texas Parks and Wildlife says the best advice is "leave skunks alone;" conventional wisdom for humans -- less so for our pets, unfortunately.

San Antonio Animal Control Officers will respond whenever a wild animal has bitten or scratched a person or pet. In such cases, call them immediately (207-4PET).

Possession/ Use of Air Guns Prohibited

On Monday afternoon, 19 January, a resident reported several youths were firing air guns in the park in the vicinity of other children. City ordinances prohibit the possession or use of these weapons. See the April 2008 Safety Committee Report for details.

Residents should call SAPD whenever they are concerned for their safety.

December 2008 Safety Committee Report

Gunshots Heard Christmas Morning

Residents on Willow Heights and Ferris Branch heard several gunshots at about 12:30 Christmas morning. The six shots fired in quick succession sounded as if they emitted from a large caliber weapon and likely emanated from the greenbelt bordering FSR, north of the park.

Blue Armor Security patrolled FSR just 20 minutes prior to the gunfire; no unusual activity was reported. A check of SAPD dispatch logs 24/25 December indicates no calls for police assistance related to weapons or disturbances. The safety committee is unaware of property damage.

Officials recommend calling SAPD for an immediate response whenever gunshots are heard since shooting firearms within San Antonio limits is prohibited.

Cellular on Patrol Training Thursday Evenings

The next COP training will be conducted at the SAPD Prue Rd Sub-station, near Prue and Fredericksburg, 22 and 29 January, 6:00 - 9:00 pm. Though FSR's current COP member roster is 20 strong, the safety committee requests more volunteers to increase patrol coverage. Call Association Management Services, 829-7202, for neighborhood contacts, or post a comment on this blog to express interest.

SAPD COP link: http://www.sanantonio.gov/sapd/cop.asp?res=1024&ver=true

Blue Armor Patrol Summary

Residents may wonder why Blue Armor patrols cruise the neighborhood with flashing yellow lights. The likelihood of catching any thief in the act of a crime is low; therefore, one approach is to maintain high visibility while on patrol to discourage would-be criminals who may be casing the neighborhood. Blue Armor is employing this method at the FSR Board's discretion.

Security patrols observed higher than normal activity at the park this month

• On a Monday evening, 8 Dec, an officer noted food, soda, and black marker littered the community center men's room door. The door has since been cleaned.


• On 9 Dec at about 9:50 pm, an officer approached a 4x4 pick-up parked at the community center. After a brief exchange, the three white male occupants were apparently annoyed at the "interruption" and departed the neighborhood.
  
• On Sunday, 21 Dec at about 10:00 pm three teens were observed near the basketball court. Upon noticing the security officer's arrival they departed in a Chrysler 300.

According to patrol logs, Blue Armor officers increased their checks of garage doors this month. No doors were noted open.

No traffic citations were issued, though radar checks late one night revealed average speeds were about 32 MPH. The speed on Finesilver Dr is 25 MPH.

SAPD Responses

San Antonio Police took 11 calls for service within FSR during December. The typical call volume for the neighborhood averages 15 per month overall but police responded to 23 calls during December last year. That spike was due to one night of vehicle burglaries and an unusual number of disturbances throughout December 2007.

For December 2008, dispatch logs indicate one alarm, two disturbances, recovery of unspecified stolen property, theft of home maintenance services, theft of a vehicle parked elsewhere in San Antonio, an unspecified theft, and fraudulent use of a debit card. Also, one residence required police assistance on three occasions for an information report and two cases of threats.

Residents of Greenbriar near Nichols ES reported a vehicle accident at Lockspring and Braun. Police also responded to an overdose.

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

As of this post, no registered sexual predators reside in FSR.

SAFD Responses

There were no responses to FSR recorded during December.


Return to the FSR Safety Blog for updates throughout the month.