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New PBSO executive lieutenant briefs Wellington on crime trends, eMoto and golf-cart enforcement
Summary
Lt. Matthew Lavinia introduced himself to the committee and reported year-to-date crime is down in Wellington; he described enforcement operations including an eMoto crackdown and a golf-cart safety education campaign that emphasized parental engagement and warnings.
Lieutenant Matthew Lavinia, the new executive lieutenant for Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office District 8, introduced himself to the Village of Wellington Public Safety Committee on June 11 and summarized recent crime trends and enforcement operations.
Lavinia said he has more than 26 years with PBSO and noted the office's community policing and volunteer programs. He told the committee overall year-to-date crime in Wellington is down but cautioned that summer months can bring increased activity. He urged residents to report suspicious activity.
Lavinia outlined two recent operations. The eMoto operation, launched after a local fatality involving an eMoto that concerned Captain Adazio, combined an awareness campaign and enforcement that produced multiple arrests and criminal citations; Lavinia said enforcement was sometimes complicated because eMotos fled from deputies and required creative investigative steps. He said working with parents of juveniles found operating eMotos had been an effective strategy to reduce incidents.
He also described a golf-cart safety campaign that focused on education and warnings. Deputies rode in golf carts on multimodal paths to educate operators about speed limits, stop-sign compliance and right-of-way rules for pedestrians and bicyclists; Lavinia said the most common problem was "plowing," where golf carts failed to yield to pedestrians or bicyclists on paths, creating hazards.
When asked about alternative communication with 911, Lavinia said PBSO has options including a texting-to-911 capability and an agency app, and that 911 systems can receive messages from callers who cannot speak.
No formal action was taken; the briefing was for information.
