Hello Fellow Utopians:
The dog days of summer are upon us and July’s All Grove Crime Watch meeting was sparsely attended with very little new information to report. It is when things are going well that we become complacent and now more than ever we need to remain vigilant and involved in our community. Many of us go on vacation during these months so it’s important to file a watch order with the Utopia police patrol and look out for your neighbor’s home while they’re away.
Police Report
Commander Morales advised that the police were able to arrest several individuals responsible for setting off large fireworks throughout the Grove that had resulted in numerous complaints of loud cannon-like explosions. Since the arrests there have been no additional complaints of this nature.
SAO Report and Court Watch
As usual, a State Attorney’s Office representative was present and gave a very detailed report highlighting the cases of nine habitual offenders arrested for committing crimes in Coconut Grove. This segued into a presentation by Tom Cobitz of the Court Watch program where regular Grovites can speak to the presiding judges on behalf of the community in matters concerning defendants appearing before them.
Business Improvement District Report
A representative from the Business Improvement District BID gave a report of the BID Ambassador Program which provides hospitality and assistance to Grovites, visitors and business owners in the Grove’s downtown area. In May of this year, the Ambassador Program responded to 6900 calls for assistance, including safety escorts, graffiti removal and general hospitality inquiries.
The BID representative announced the following businesses have, or are scheduled to open soon:
Smoochie’s Candy
T Surf Shop
Maria’s Greek Restaurant (next to 24 Hour Fitness)
U Fit (in Cocowalk)
Spillover by Lokal (in the Promenade)
Lasso the Moon (in the Promenade)
French Bakery will be coming to the former Menchie’s Yogurt location
Farinelli’s Italian Restaurant by the owner of Strada
Youth Empowerment Program
The final order of business was a donation by the Crime Watch Committee to the Youth Empowerment Program. If you’d like to donate or for more information please visit http://empoweredyouthusa.org/.
