The new security system at the Recreation Center is now fully operational and appears to be fulfilling its promise of curbing vandalism and trespassing.

 

It replaced an antiquated videotape system that never really worked very well, and all but ceased to function in recent years.

 

When the HOA committed to undertaking a major renovation of the Recreation Center, the Board realized it also had to invest in a new security system to protect its considerable investment.

 

Security experts were brought in to make recommendations, and proposals were submitted by a number of security system vendors. 

 

It chose a fully digital, state-of-the-art system that for the first time provides surveillance coverage throughout the Recreation Center, whether on the tennis and basketball courts, the children’s playground, the parking lot and inside the clubhouse, in addition to the pool/pavilion area. All these areas are monitored 24/7 with infra-red cameras that enable lucid night vision so powerful they can monitor the movements of a bug. They also have the ability to zoom in on the faces of those who are engaged in wrongful activities.

 

The system has already recorded a number of young people in the act of damaging the Recreation Center.  Parents have been summoned to the office to view the actions of their own kids on closed-circuit TV, following which they have been hit with fines and repair bills.

 

The HOA has also ordered special No Trespassing signs from the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office that will soon be posted around the Recreation Center. PBSO Deputies have been doing nighttime security checks at the Recreation Center for some time now. But the presence of those signs will now give PBSO the authority to arrest anyone for trespassing if they are not authorized to be there at night.

 

While deterring vandalism needs no explanation, some have questioned what the big deal is about young people hanging out at the Recreation Center at night, especially since there are so few nearby places to go. The problem is liability. The Association’s insurance coverage for the Recreation Center is limited to authorized use of its facilities. If someone sued the Association for a midnight drowning in the pool, the insurance company might well not cover the HOA’s legal defense fees, let alone a high ticket damages award to the plaintiff. The costs of such an incident would then have to be borne by the 653 homeowners who make up Lakes at Boca Raton. The cost of a five million dollar judgment would end up costing each of us about $8,000 apiece.