A Plea for Help

Below is a copy of an e-mail sent to our City Commissioners and Mayor this morning by Bruce and Maryanne Webber:

Dear Mayor and Commissioners;

In the very early hours of Sunday morning our son David was held up at gunpoint in his apartment at 616 Lucerne Avenue in downtown.

He had been home about an hour after coming home from attending “The Police” concert at the Fairgrounds in West Palm Beach. He was inside his apartment and then went downstairs to check his mailbox, came back inside to get a drink of water when there inside his front door was a man with a gun pointed at David’s head demanding all of his money.

David told the man he didn’t have any cash and that the only money he had was $300.00 and that was in the bank. The man had the gun at his head and told him to take him to the nearest ATM machine.

They walked down to National City, David withdrew the cash, gave it to the man and the man left with the cash.

At this time we are very thankful that our son is physically ok. We are also very angry. Let’s face it; it could have turned out a LOT worse.

All our safety is at risk, this could have happened to any one of us with fatal results. Without adequate police protection our city is a crime zone.

With all the violent crime going on the police do not have the man power or the time to deal with the gangs, the prostitution and the drugs. The criminal element knows we are vulnerable.

Our Police Dept. is understaffed, overwhelmed, and underpaid. Commissioner Vespo has made a power point presentation illustrating why it is so imperative to go with the PBSO.

At the last commission meeting residents form South J Street were begging all of you to do something.

There is something to be done… NOW. These next 60 days are supposed to be the negotiations with the City of Lake Worth and the PBSO. We are pleading with all of you to be on top of this and to get the deal sealed. Our city’s residents need help and we need it now and you, our representatives, are the only people who can get us the help we need.

Please please turn these negotiations into a contract with the PBSO. It is the only chance we have to save the lives of our families and keep our homes and streets safe.

Bruce and Maryanne Webber