Crime Watch Meeting: 4/23/2026

A Crime Watch meeting has been scheduled for Thursday, April 23rd at 6 PM.  It will be held on the West side, main parking on SW 111th Lane next to the park. Click Here for location.  We are asking that you make every effort to attend.  It is only because of those involved that we have been able to keep crime low and it is all due to those who participate in Crime Watch that this is possible.  Crime Watch doesn't work if you only get involved after you have become a victim of a crime.  

As always, a Miami-Dade Sheriff's Deputy will be at the meeting to discuss crime trends in our area, statistics, news of interest as well as to answer any questions from attending residents.

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Correction: Crime Watch Meeting: 10/10/2023

Correction: Crime Watch Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, October 10th at 7 PM, not Thursday as originally posted.

A Crime Watch meeting has been scheduled for Thursday Tuesday, October 10th at 7 PM.  It will be held on the West side, main parking on SW 111th Lane next to the park. Click Here for location.  We are asking that you make every effort to attend.  It is only because of those involved that we have been able to keep crime low and it is all due to those who participate in Crime Watch that this is possible.  Crime Watch doesn't work if you only get involved after you have become a victim of a crime.  

As always, a Metro Dade Police Officer will be at the meeting to discuss crime trends in our area, statistics, news of interest as well as to answer any questions from attending residents.

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Burglary: Villas East 11/4/2022

One of our crime watch volunteers contacted to let us know that a burglary occurred this past Friday at a villa located on Circle South by the canal. The burglary occurred during the day. The person responsible came in through the canal easement owned by the South Florida Water Management District, jumped the fence and broke in via the sliding glass door.

Over the last 4 weeks we have also noticed an uptick in burglaries and thefts occurring in other nearby communities, specifically Devon-Aire Villas 4 & Devon-Aire Villas 5. It is important that members remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity or individuals around the community. Residents having homes that have canal access are more exposed than the rest of our members since they don't have the advantage of having the rear of their homes watched over by members of community so they should take measures to secure their rear doors, windows and sliding glass doors. We are asking all members reading this to please speak with your neighbors to get the word out regarding this incident.  If you are renting out your unit, please pass this information on to your tenants.  By getting the word out, we ensure that whoever is responsible will be caught.

Please stay alert for any suspicious activity.  The basic rule of thumb is if you see a possible crime in progress, call 9-1-1.  If you wish to report suspicious activity, please call the non-emergency number at (305) 476-5423.  Please pay particular attention to individuals loitering in the guest parking areas or other parts of the community and if observe anyone circling around the community that should not be there, walking in and around homes or just someone who seems out of place, please contact Police.  Miami Dade Police is authorized to ask anyone that does not belong or have business in the community to leave the property.  After you contact Police, please let us know as well by using our Contact Us page or by calling us at (305) 859-1462 and leaving a message.  Messages left at this number are monitored 7 days a week by all members of the board.

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Crime Watch Meeting: 10/6/2022

A Crime Watch meeting has been scheduled for Thursday, October 6th at 7 PM.  It will be held on the West side, main parking on SW 111th Lane next to the park. Click Here for location.  We are asking that you make every effort to attend.  It is only because of those involved that we have been able to keep crime low and it is all due to those who participate in Crime Watch that this is possible.  Crime Watch doesn't work if you only get involved after you have become a victim of a crime.  

As always, a Metro Dade Police Officer will be at the meeting to discuss crime trends in our area, statistics, news of interest as well as to answer any questions from attending residents.

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Crime Watch Meeting: 11/3/2021

A Crime Watch meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday, November 3rd at 7 PM.  It will be held on the West side, main parking on SW 111th Lane next to the park. Click Here for location.  We are asking that you make every effort to attend.  It is only because of those involved that we have been able to keep crime low and it is all due to those who participate in Crime Watch that this is possible.  Crime Watch doesn't work if you only get involved after you have become a victim of a crime.  

As always, a Metro Dade Police Officer will be at the meeting to discuss crime trends in our area, statistics, news of interest as well as to answer any questions from attending residents.

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Be Alert / Car Hopping / Rim Thefts

This is an important reminder to our members and residents in the community to please stay vigilant. The Board of Directors routinely monitors reports of crime in the area.  Recently we have seen a spike in reported car hopping, rim thefts, etc... in the area via CrimeMapping.com, Ring's Neighbors App and Nextdoor. Although we have not received any reports of these types of petty crime occurring in our community, we have seen quite a few in nearby neighborhoods.  As always we ask members to take precautions so they don't become a victim.  Make it a routine to lock all your car doors at night. To prevent Car hoppers from entering your car, please make sure you leave your cars doors locked at all times and never leave any valuables in your cars. Individuals that car hop tend to always go through unlocked cars because it attracts less attention. If you see individuals going house to house and checking out cars, call Police right away. For residents having alloy wheels/rims should invest in one or two sets of wheel locks to secure their rims and ensure that the key used for those locks is not hidden in an obvious place within their vehicle and instead place them where thieves will will not easily find them. Car owners should also look into VIN etching kits or services as thieves tend to stay away from parts that have had their vehicle identification number (VIN) etched onto the rims, doors, windows, windshield, etc...To make it more difficult for thieves to steal your tires, make sure your front wheals are turned all the way left or right as a deterrent since this make them more difficult to remove. We also urge our member to please leave their front porch lights on all night long in order to deter such thefts. If you are concerned about the electrical costs, please keep in mind that with today's LED light bulbs, power consumption is very negligible. The few pennies you pay per day to run LED lights will far outweigh the aggravation of having your vehicle's content stolen.  We have also been told by police that the security cameras, the Ring doorbell and similar devices can also help deter such crimes.

It goes without saying that if suspicious activity is occurring on or around the property, residents are urged to please contact Police immediately by calling their non-emergency number at (305) 4-POLICE (476-5423).  If you believe that a crime is in progress, please call 911.  Do not attempt contact with any person engaging in suspicious activity and instead let Police handle the situation.  It is important that residents always file a Police report for any crime that has been committed against them, no matter how small or insignificant you think it might be.  If a report is not filed, Police have no way to determine crime trends in a community.  After filing a Police report, please let us know so we can alert the rest of our members.

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Be Alert / Car Hopping / Thefts

This is an important reminder to our members and residents in the community to please stay vigilant. The Board of Directors routinely monitors reports of crime in the area.  Recently we have seen a spike in reported Car Hoppers, thefts, etc... in the area via CrimeMapping.com and Ring's Neighbors App. Although we have not received any reports of these types of petty crime occurring in our community yet, we ask members to take precautions so they don't become a victim.  Make it a routine to lock all your car doors at night.  With Car hoppers in the area, please make sure you leave your cars locked at all times and never leave any valuables in your cars. Individuals that car hop tend to always go through unlocked cars because it attracts less attention. If you see individuals going house to house and checking out cars, call Police right away. We also urge our member to please leave their front porch lights on all night long in order to deter such thefts. If you are concerned about the electrical costs, please keep in mind that with today's LED light bulbs, power consumption is very negligible. The few pennies you pay per day to run LED lights will far outweigh the aggravation of having your vehicle's content stolen.  We have also been told by police that the security cameras, the Ring doorbell and similar devices can also help deter such crimes.

It goes without saying that if suspicious activity is occurring on or around the property, residents are urged to please contact Police immediately by calling their non-emergency number at (305) 4-POLICE (476-5423).  If you believe that a crime is in progress, please call 911.  Do not attempt contact with any person engaging in suspicious activity and instead let Police handle the situation.  It is important that residents always file a Police report for any crime that has been committed against them, no matter how small or insignificant you think it might be.  If a report is not filed, Police have no way to determine crime trends in a community.  After filing a Police report, please let us know so we can alert the rest of our members.

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Mail Box Theft & Fraud at Devon-Aire #1 West 5/3/2020

A member of the community reported that on the week of May 3rd, they placed a letter in their mailbox which contained a check for around $30. To let the letter carrier know they had a letter waiting for pickup, they raised the mailbox flag on the side of the mailbox.  To their surprise, they found out later in the week that the check was cashed for several thousand dollars. Someone evidently stole the letter from the mailbox and altered the check allowing them to drain their account of funds.

With the current pandemic and all the disruptions that it has caused, the one thing that hasn't changed is crime.  Even though there are stay at home orders in place, please do not leave mail in your mailbox especially with the mail flag in the upright position. Not only does it let the letter carrier know that you have mail waiting to go out, but it also lets thieves know. We recommend that you either drop the letter off at the post office or wait for your letter carrier and deliver it to them by hand.  Never leave mail in your mailbox overnight. Also, to stay informed of what mail your are supposed to be receiving, we highly recommend that you subscribe to USPS Informed Delivery by Clicking Here before a would be scammer does so for you.  Thieves are using the service to commit identity theft.  Subscribing to the service before they do will prevent a scammer from seeing what mail you have coming in such as credit cards, government checks, etc... For additional articles related to USPS Informed Delivery and related fraud, please see the links below.

References:

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1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Informed_Delivery
2. https://krebsonsecurity.com/2018/11/u-s-secret-service-warns-id-thieves-are-abusing-uspss-mail-scanning-service
3. https://southfloridareporter.com/warning-id-theft-and-credit-card-fraud-attacks-hit-post-office-informed-delivery-feature
4. https://www.clickorlando.com/news/2018/11/01/residents-say-new-service-exposed-them-to-identity-theft-mail-fraud

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Crime Watch Meeting: 10/17/2019

A Crime Watch meeting has been scheduled for Thursday, October 17th at 7PM.  It will be held on the West side, main parking on SW 111th Lane next to the park. Click Here for location.  We are asking that you make every effort to attend.  It is only because of those involved that we have been able to keep crime low and it is all due to those who participate in Crime Watch that this is possible.  Crime Watch doesn't work if you only get involved after you have become a victim of a crime.  

As always, a Metro Dade Police Officer will be at the meeting to discuss crime trends in our area, statistics, news of interest as well as to answer any questions from attending residents.

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Crime Watch Meeting: 4/4/2019

A Crime Watch meeting has been scheduled for Thursday, April 4th at 7PM.  It will be held on the West side, main parking on SW 111th Lane next to the park.   Click Here for location.  We are asking that you make every effort to attend.  It is only because of those involved that we have been able to keep crime low and it is all due to those who participate in Crime Watch that this is possible. Crime Watch doesn't work if you only get involved after you have become a victim of a crime.  

As always, a Metro Dade Police Officer will be at the meeting to discuss crime trends in our area, statistics, news of interest as well as to answer any questions from attending residents.

MDPD Officers Attending will be Officer Orlando Fleitas & K-9 Officer Ryan Fields along with "Sparky" which is part of the Community Outreach Support Dog Program.

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Crime Watch Meeting: 8/23/2018

A Crime Watch meeting has been scheduled for Thursday, August 23rd at 7PM.  It will be held on the West side, main parking on SW 111th Lane next to the park.   Click Here for location.  We are asking that you make every effort to attend.  It is only because of those involved that we have been able to keep crime low and it is all due to those who participate in Crime Watch that this is possible.  Crime Watch doesn't work if you only get involved after you have become a victim of a crime.  

As always, a Metro Dade Police Officer will be at the meeting to discuss crime trends in our area, statistics, news of interest as well as to answer any questions from attending residents.

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Crime Watch Meeting: 4/12/2018

A Crime Watch meeting has been scheduled for Thursday, April 12th at 7PM.  It will be held on the West side, main parking on SW 111th Lane next to the park.   Click Here for location.  We are asking that you make every effort to attend.  It is only because of those involved that we have been able to keep crime low and it is all due to those who participate in Crime Watch that this is possible.  Crime Watch doesn't work if you only get involved after you have become a victim of a crime.  

As always, a Metro Dade Police Officer will be at the meeting to discuss crime trends in our area, statistics, news of interest as well as to answer any questions from attending residents.

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Citizens’ Crime Watch of Miami-Dade 42nd Annual Awards Ceremony

Jeff Kaslofsky, our Board President, was honored at the 42nd annual Citizens’ Crime Watch of Miami-Dade Awards Ceremony which was held on December 15th. He was awarded the Crime Watcher of the Year (County) award. Also in attendance were Carlos Amézaga, our Board Vice President, and Scott Galya, our Community Association Manager. This event recognizes law enforcement and individuals who were most helpful to Citizens’ Crime Watch throughout the year.  It also celebrates the bridges built between law enforcement and citizens in order to enhance crime prevention in local communities.  We would like to thank Miami Dade County Police Kendall District for the nomination as well as Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava for inviting us to her table at the event. For more on this story as well as a list of other award recipients please Click Here.

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Crime Watch Meeting: 10/12/2017

A Crime Watch meeting has been scheduled for Thursday, October 12th at 7PM.  It will be held on the West side, main parking on SW 111th Lane next to the park.   Click Here for location.  We are asking that you make every effort to attend.  It is only because of those involved that we have been able to keep crime low and it is all due to those who participate in Crime Watch that this is possible.  Crime Watch doesn't work if you only get involved after you have become a victim of a crime.  

As always, a Metro Dade Police Officer will be at the meeting to discuss crime trends in our area, statistics, news of interest as well as to answer any questions from attending residents.

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Be Alert / Don't Ignore Suspicious Behavior

This is an important reminder to our members and residents in the community to please stay vigilant.  With summer now upon us, it's even more important to stay alert for any suspicious activity that may be occurring around our homes & community.  Already we have received two emails from alert residents regarding suspicious individuals going door to door pretending to offer a service of some kind, but in reality is most likely individuals scoping out potential homes to burglarize.  In these situations, we encourage members to call Police to have them check things out and escort them off the property which is what these member did.  It is important for members to realize that we have signs posted at all our entrances stating that anyone found soliciting or proselytizing door to door within our community is trespassing and can be asked to leave the property by any member of the community or can be reported to the Board & Property Manager by either texting or leaving voicemail at (305) 859-1462.  The reason is simple.  We just have no way of knowing who these individuals are or their real intentions.  If any resident sees suspicious individuals after hours in the guest parking or common areas we also ask that you call Police.  Already we have had a couple of trees on Park West damaged by trespassers after hours.

We have also received a report by an alert resident in Circle South that someone tried to steal the rims off of their car.  She was able to frighten the thieves away by turning the car alarm using her remote and immediately called Police.  Car rim thefts are up in Miami Dade County and residents need to take defensive measures to protect their cars.  Residents with expensive rims should have wheel locks installed and never leave the wheel lock key in the glove compartment or trunks because that's the first place they always look.  Also, turn the wheels of your car once you have parked.  This makes the tires that much harder to remove especially with wheel locks.  Local 10 news had a report on the subject here.

Lastly, with school nearly out, car hopping is sure to return to the area.  Please make sure you leave your cars locked at all times and never leave any valuables in your car.  These individuals tend to always go through unlocked cars because it attracts less attention.  If you see individuals going house to house and checking out cars, call Police right away.

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Car Hopping/Car Break-In/Theft: Villas West 1/8/2017

A report has been posted on Nextdoor.com that a two individuals were car hopping around the homes between 109th LN and 111th Ter on 122nd PL which is in the West side of the community. Car hopping is the act of going car to car and checking if they are unlocked and stealing what they find of value.  We know that at least one car was broken into because a girls pink backpack with some clothes in it was thrown about the common area although that owner has not contacted us. Unfortunately video of some of the cameras in the area could not get a clear picture of the perpetrators.   This occurred at 1:35 AM on 1/8/2017.  Owners in the area are urged to look at their cars to ensure they were not a victim and if they are, please contact Police and file a report.  We have forwarded this information to Police to let them know what has occurred in the community.

As always, please make sure that you keep your car locked at all times and never leave anything of value in your car.  Most of these car thefts occur to individuals who leave their cars unlocked and rarely to those who lock their cars.  It goes without saying that if suspicious activity is occurring on or around the property, residents are urged to please contact Police immediately by calling their non emergency number at (305) 4-POLICE (476-5423).  If you believe that a crime is in progress, please call 911.  Do not attempt contact with any person engaging in suspicious activity and instead let Police handle the situation.  It is important that residents always file a Police report for any crime that has been committed against them, no matter how small or insignificant you think it might be.  If a report is not filed, Police have no way to determine crime trends in a community.  After filing a Police report, please let us know so we can alert the rest of or members.

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'Tis The Season To Be Cautious

With the holiday's already upon on, we would like take the opportunity to remind our members that they should be be extra vigilant as they go about their business.  Some types of crime tend to spike during this time of year, such as home burglaries, car burglaries, thefts at malls & online scams so it is particularly important for members to be aware of their surroundings at all times and report any suspicious activity immediately to Police.  Online scams are the worst to spot since criminals will exploit email, text messages, phone calls and postal mail to scam folks by scaring them into submitting information that can be used to steal your cash or identity.  There are quite a few things that members can do to protect themselves so here are some useful tips to keep in mind this holiday season.

• Protect Your Home
  • Keep your home well lit at night.
  • Make sure you mail is not visible after delivery and pickup as soon as possible to avoid mail theft.
  • Do not display gifts beneath the Christmas tree or in any way that can be easily seen from the outside.
  • Valuable electronics should never be left out and visible from outside your windows.
  • Keep your rear gates locked at all times.
  • Do not advertise gifts by leaving boxes out and visible during garbage collection and instead, flatten and place them in your recycle bin.
  • If you will be away from home during the holidays, make sure that you and your children do not advertise that you will be away on social media. You should also suspend newspaper deliveries and have your mail held at the post office.
  • Make sure that your home looks occupied by using light timers.
  • For those with storm shutters, you may close them if you will be away, but you must notify us before doing so.
  • Always ensure that you keep your vehicles locked and any valuables, such as phones, tablets, etc.., are hidden or removed from your vehicle to avoid car burglaries.
• While Shopping
  • Always park in a well lit area if shopping in the evening.
  • When using your debit cards, do not expose your PIN number or if you have the option swipe as credit instead.
  • Never leave your purse unattended.
  • Do not place your purse or wallet in a shopping cart and instead keep your purse close to your body and closed at all times.
  • Do not leave purchased items unattended.
  • When returning to your vehicle, be sure to walk directly to your vehicle with keys in hand, so that you are able to unlock your vehicle quickly. Always be aware of your surroundings.
  • Never leave your purse on the seat of your car.
  • Be sure to place your shopping items in the trunk of your car and out of sight.
  • Once inside, lock your vehicle’s doors.
• Online Fraud
• Be suspicious of any text message, email, letters or phone calls you receive especially if they are asking you for personal information such as date of birth, credit card or bank account information.Your bank will never ask you to provide personal information in an unsolicited email, text message or phone call.
• Any emails, text message or phone calls asking you to click on a link or go to a website should always be treated with suspicion. When in doubt, call your bank or credit card company using the phone number behind your bank or credit card and inform the of the situation.
• Never reply to unsolicited emails, pop-up messages or texts asking for personal or financial information.
• Do not call any phone numbers contained in messages. Never open any links or documents contained in these messages as they may route you to a bogus and malicious website which could expose your PC/Phone/Tablet with malware or viruses.
• Carefully review your account statements and look for any unauthorized transactions.

We Hope that some of these tips are useful to our members and helps them stay safe during this holiday season. The Devon-Aire Villas #1 Board of Directors & Brickell Property Management would also like to take the opportunity to wish our membership and their families a safe, happy and wonderful Thanksgiving.

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Crime Watch Meeting: 8/17/2016

A Crime Watch meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday, August 17th at 7PM.  It will be held on the West side, main parking on SW 111th Lane next to the park.   Click Here for location.  We are asking that you make every effort to attend.  It is only because of those involved that we have been able to keep crime low and it is all due to those who participate in Crime Watch that this is possible.  Crime Watch doesn't work if you only get involved after you have become a victim of a crime.  

As always, a Metro Dade Police Officer will be at the meeting to discuss crime trends in our area, statistics, news of interest as well as to answer any questions from attending residents.

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Car Break-In/Theft: Villas East 4/4-5/2016

We are starting to receive reports of the car break-ins that occurred on 4/4/2016 and 4/5/2016.  Homeowners affected by these break-ins did not contact us regarding these crimes so we do not know what sections on East were affected. There were three cars in total reported to Police so far affecting our community with many more reports from residents living in Devon-Aire Estates between 106th ST & 104th ST.  This is no doubt related to the Police chase and subsequent lock down of the West side of the community on 4/5/2016 between 4AM - 9AM in which we sent out alerts on Nextdoor.com.  A news story was later reported by Local10 News (Click Here) about the event. Unfortunately Police were unable to apprehend the suspect.  There has been an increased Police presence in this area for the last couple of months as they look for the individuals responsible for these car burglaries in our area.

Don't become a victim.  Always make sure to lock your cars, especially before turning in for the night.  Always make sure that all items of value are never left in cars at anytime.  These car burglars usually only break into vehicles which have been left unlocked so don't do them any favors. If you are ever a victim of a crime, please take the time to file a police report. We know that calling police to file report can be time consuming, however Miami Dade County Police now allow you to file a report for certain types of crimes online.  Click Here if you need to file a police report.  If a report is not filed, there is no way that police can establish trends to help mitigate these types of crimes.  You may also file a report by phone by calling (305) 4-POLICE (476-5423).

It goes without saying that if suspicious activity is occurring on or around the property, residents are urged to please contact Police immediately by calling their non emergency number at (305) 4-POLICE (476-5423).  If you believe that a crime is in progress, please call 911.  Do not attempt make contact with any person engaging in suspicious activity and instead let Police handle the situation.  

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Crime Watch Meeting: 12/16/2015

A Crime Watch meeting has been scheduled for December 16th at 7PM.  It will be held on the West side, main parking on SW 111th Lane next to the park.   Click Here for location.  We are asking that you make every effort to attend.  It is only because of those involved that we have been able to keep crime low and it is all due to those who participate in Crime Watch that this is possible.  Crime Watch doesn't work if you only get involved after you have become a victim of a crime.  

As always, a Metro Dade Police Officer will be at the meeting to discuss crime trends in our area, statistics, news of interest as well as to answer any questions from attending residents.

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