Marina Dock Age

Black Point Marina in Culter Ridge, Fla., started Friends of Black Point, a group of marina patrons volunteering time to help with marina security.

Like many municipal facilities constrained with tight budgets, Black Point Marina in Cutler Ridge, Fla., is trying to do more with less. With that in mind, Ken Maxwell, dockmaster and park manager at Black Point Park and Marina, initiated a volunteer security program with the marina’s patrons to keep the facility secure.

Black Point Marina has 178 wet slips and dry stack storage for 37 boats and is one of six municipal marinas in Miami-Dade County. Maxwell brought to his marina what the Miami-Dade Park and Recreation Dept. had long advocated with its Park Watch program, promoting citizens to be the eyes and ears of the public facilities they enjoy.

Friends of Black Point

With boat thefts and break-ins on the rise the last few years, Black Point Marina needed a cost-effective way to increase security. Although the marina had no major thefts in 2009, Maxwell said this was a simply a matter of luck. He called the move to start a volunteer security program at Black Point “preemptive,” as luck may not always be on the marina’s side.

In December 2009, Maxwell launched the “Friends of Black Point,” with the help of the marina’s yacht club, which opened up its monthly membership meeting to the public. With the help of Jose Clay, the local head volunteer facilitator (a semi-retired, month-to-month visitor, who sincerely wanted to get involved with the program), Maxwell did a 45-minute presentation about the program to 80 attendees. He also introduced representatives from the Miami-Dade Marine Patrol, who will help train volunteers.

The “Friends of Black Point” will establish a schedule with dedicated hours for each volunteer. They will be trained on how to station themselves in the most effective watch areas and to always maintain a passive posture. Most importantly, for their own safety, volunteers should only observe. They should report any unusual or suspicious activities or people to the marina office during the day or to staff security officers at night.

Volunteers interested in the Black Point Marina security program have until the end of January to sign up. Maxwell hopes the program will begin in February. In addition to introducing his program through the Yacht Club and via word-of-mouth as he and his staff walk the docks, Maxwell e-mails his patrons to promote his program and its underlying message – do more with less, but always do it, more or less, safely.

Tips for volunteers

In general, the Miami-Dade Parks and Rec. Dept. asks volunteers to always consider their personal safety first and foremost. When reporting a crime, the Miami-Dade Parks and Rec. Dept. recommends the following:

• Gather all the facts, and write them down.
• Don’t forget to take a second look. More complete information may be worth the delay.
• Make sure you can answer the usual who, what, where, when, and how questions, or as many as you can.
• Details can be important. For instance, reporting that a vehicle had a dented left fender is more useful than simply a vehicle color.

Reporting crimes often means describing suspects. Depending on the situation, take a good look at the suspect. Here is a list of the characteristics to remember:

• sex, race, complexion, and age
• height and weight (if you can estimate) or “build” (large, small, stocky, fat, slender)
• any distinguishing traits on the body (tattoos, glasses, etc.)
• hair, mustache, or beard (color, thick or thin, balding or full)
• clothing (type, color, style – start at the top and work down: hat, coat/shirt, pants, shoes
• method of escape.

To help the “Friends of Black Point” volunteers, the program will develop “cheat sheets,” so volunteers can calmly run down a checklist in the event of a suspected crime.

Added volunteer benefit

Although many marinas face reduced budgets for 2010, a smaller budget at Black Point Marina meant calling on patrons for extra help. “We’re a real family here,” Maxwell said of his marina and its patrons, adding that many of them not only understand the difficult financial situation facing the city, but they also want to help. He adds that his “Friends of Black Point” will help not only with security but also in other little ways, such as cleaning up around the marina while on duty.

Anna Townshend is senior editor of Marina Dock Age. She can be reached by phone at 847/647-2900 ext. 1308 or via e-mail at: atownshend@prestonpub.com.