Palm Beach Fire-Rescue, police highlights include centennial anniversary, new fire station plans
It was a busy season for the Palm Beach Police Department and Fire-Rescue. From a centennial anniversary to a farmworkers demonstration, to new equipment and an FBI raid, there was plenty of action this season.
Happy 100th birthday
The Palm Beach Fire-Rescue Department celebrated its centennial anniversary in December with a town-wide celebration at Station 1.
The Public Safety Day and Fire Department Centennial Event featured food trucks, a rappelling demonstration, displays and kids’ activities such as face painting and balloon art. It also doubled as an open house for the town’s Police Department, which will celebrate its centennial in October.
“As Fire-Rescue [employees], we are public servants. We exist to serve the public,” Fire Chief Darrel Donatto said at the event. “We can’t do that without relationships and trust. For 100 years, we have had that relationship and that trust with this community, and we are here to celebrate that 100 years of service to the Town of Palm Beach.”
*
Temporary fire station
Fire-Rescue staff at the water-damaged North Fire Station will work out of a temporary facility once renovation work on the landmarked building gets underway.
During its regular meeting Jan. 11, the Town Council approved the purchase of two trailers and a canopy that will serve as a temporary fire station once construction on the estimated $5.5 million project begins.
The units will be ready for occupancy in June, when interior demolition of the fire station is slated to begin. An inspection last summer revealed water damage and mold infestation inside the 95-year-old fire station at 300 S. County Road, accelerating the timeline for a rebuild of the structure.
*
New vehicles for Fire-Rescue
In November, the Town Council approved the purchase of a Pierce Freightliner Encore Rescue Light and Air Squad for $503,049 for the Fire-Rescue Department.
A Light and Air Squad is a specialized vehicle that provides firefighters with additional light, self-contained breathing apparatus air bottles, and other technical rescue equipment, at the scene of an emergency.
The money came from Fire-Rescue's Equipment Replacement Fund, which is used to plan for and set aside money for large expenses, supplemented by a $100,000 donation from the Palm Beach Police and Fire Foundation.
The council also authorized in November spending $102,652 for the purchase of two Ford Inspector hybrid units for the Police Department to use on patrol.
Police spokesman Capt. William Rothrock said the department has replaced two of its gas-powered units every year with hybrids since 2019 to advance the town’s green initiative.
*
Farmworkers protest in Palm Beach and West Palm Beach
About 400 farmworkers and supporters marched April 2 to call attention to what they say are unfair and exploitative working conditions.
The 5-mile march, organized by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, targeted Wendy's Board Chairman Nelson Peltz, who lives on the island. Organizers said they hope to put pressure on Wendy's top decision-maker to start conversations on their concerns about working conditions.
The protesters marched from Bradley Park down to the Royal Park Bridge via County Road and Worth Avenue into West Palm Beach, where they walked to the Flagler Memorial Bridge. The march ended back at Bradley Park.
*
Worth Avenue smash-and-grab
Only days after 13 Hermès handbags valued at nearly $1 million were stolen in a smash-and-grab incident, a Palm Beach store was hit again early Christmas morning and robbed of eight more handbags.
Virgil Rogers, the owner of Only Authentics on Worth Avenue, told the Daily News that his loss was in excess of $1 million.
An Orange, N.J., woman was arrested in March and charged with burglary and grand theft.
*
Worth Avenue gallery raid
At least a dozen FBI and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation agents raided Danieli Fine Art and Galerie Danieli on Worth Avenue on Dec. 15.
The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation agents swarmed the fine art gallery, carrying cardboard boxes for evidence gathering.
The FBI was confirmed to be on the scene along Worth Avenue to conduct “court-ordered law enforcement activity,” said James Marshall, the public affairs specialist for the FBI. The FBI has not commented further.
*
Former Palm Beach Police officers sue department
Two former Palm Beach Police officers sued the town in December for libel, claiming the department falsely accused them of insubordination, absenteeism and tardiness after they resigned to take jobs with the Jupiter Police Department.
Former officers Gabriel DaSilva and Stephen Singer sued Dec. 6.
The town "falsely communicated" to Jupiter Police on Oct. 19 that the men "were terminated from employment … due to insubordination, absenteeism and tardiness," the suit said. The town also "submitted a false affidavit" to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement "with actual and express malice falsely stating the reasons" the men had left the department, the suit said.
On Nov. 15, the suit said, the men's lawyer demanded that the town retract or apologize to the men "relating to the defamatory utterances and file a corrective or amended affidavit(s)" with the FDLE regarding the men's resignation from the town's Police Department.
An attorney for the town responded Nov. 17 that it would not comply with the demands, the suit said.
*
Drug arrests on Palm Beach
Michael Anthony, 55, was arrested Jan. 11 at his home on Via Manana after police say they seized 584.2 grams of psilocybin mushrooms and 169.67 grams of amphetamine, and found an illegal sawed-off shotgun during searches of his home and car. The amount of mushrooms seized is equivalent to almost 1.3 pounds.
According to a Palm Beach Police report, the department received information that Anthony had a large quantity of firearms and was involved in the cultivation, manufacturing and distribution of illegal narcotics, specifically psilocybin mushrooms (known commonly as "magic" mushrooms). Anthony died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound Feb. 20.
A man and two women were arrested and charged with possession of fentanyl, cocaine and heroin Oct. 29 following an investigation into reports of drug activity at a local hotel, Palm Beach Police said.
Hotel management said the man had traffic to his room that was consistent with narcotics activity and kept a "Do Not Disturb" sign on his door.
*
Strong rip currents
On March 6, a 64-year-old man drowned in the ocean off the 400 flock of South Ocean Boulevard. James Asumbrado, no address given, was pronounced dead at the scene.
On Feb. 22, two sisters caught in a rip current were rescued by Palm Beach lifeguards who spotted them in distress on the north end of Midtown Beach. Lifeguard supervisor Craig Pollock and fellow lifeguard Cameron Hudson pulled the girls out of the water. A third sister made it back to shore on her own.
*
Waking up the 'woke'?
In January, some residents whose cars carry New York license plates came across letters placed on their windows urging them to leave Florida if they are "woke." The letters were placed on cars parked along Sunrise Avenue and Seaview Avenue as well as Bradley Place.
The letter rattled some area residents, and police opened an investigation.
*
Rod Stewart plea
Singer Rod Stewart and son Sean pleaded guilty in December to battery in a case stemming from a New Year's Eve 2019 altercation with a security guard at The Breakers.
Court records show that the singer and his son, Sean Stewart, entered guilty pleas to misdemeanor charges of simple battery. Formal adjudication of the charge was withheld.
A dispute started when a security guard would not allow them into a private party at the resort, court records stated.
*
Community relations
In a move to improve relationships between community groups and the department, Palm Beach Police has increased the number of officers in its Business and Community Relations unit.
The unit was increased from one to four members by Chief Nick Caristo because he felt police needed more interaction with the public and business community, police stated in November. Officers in the Business and Community Relations unit do bicycle and foot patrol in the business districts, the Lake Trail and other areas where people gather, he said.
.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Palm Beach Fire-Rescue celebrates centennial, FBI raid on Worth Avenue
