FAQ

The District provides the funding and operation of an off-duty Hollywood Police security detail that patrols within the boundaries of the District. This is a supplemental layer of security for our neighborhood. The Detail is a deterrent for crime in the neighborhood. The Detail is staffed by a limited number of City of Hollywood Police sworn officers who are learning our neighborhood and able to employ community policing.

The primary use of funds collected by The District is to pay Hollywood Police Officers who are off-duty to staff a private Detail within the boundaries of The District. The Detail is managed by a Hollywood Police Department Detail Manager who is a sworn officer. The hours of operation are governed by The District Board and reviewed with the Detail Manager to assess that appropriate coverage is maintained.

Yes. Please contact the officer during Detail hours. They maintain a vacation log and can document cars that are expected to be in the driveway and any expected visits to your property during the vacation period. This will help the officer determine if activity on your property is unusual.

Yes. The Duty phone may be added to your call tree with your alarm service so that the patrolling detail officer (if on-duty and not otherwise engaged) can respond to your alarm.

In case of emergency, Hollywood Police always advise that you immediately call 9-1-1. Otherwise, absolutely call the officer on duty if you have a concern or question about safety issues in our neighborhood – that’s why we have the patrol. This will also help officers understand our neighborhood and be able to employ community policing techniques.

This District is one of the first of its kind in the State and it has taken time to work through the legal and governmental processes at the State and municipal levels in order for us to legally start operations.

We are a dependent district of the City Commission which is how they are able to add an assessment to all homeowners within the District boundaries. As such, we are bound by all City of Hollywood and State of Florida laws governing a dependent district. Additionally, the City of Hollywood required that this effort be self-funded and operated, meaning that we had access to no City services in order to initiate all processes related to the District.

The District is responsible for all costs and resources to establish and operate enhanced security measures. There were startup costs and time to file State of Florida paperwork – all of which are the responsibility of The District. This included retaining legal counsel, researching and managing the process to setup the District, and filing State and municipal paperwork to establish the legal entity. Printing costs such as sending letters and bills to homeowners are also an expense that is the responsibility of the District. This is what caused the delay in getting The District operational and the reason that the full $250 was billed for 2018.

This was a one-time issue that only effected the 2018 year of operation as The District was not yet able to assess through annual real estate taxes. Starting with the November 2018 tax bill which covers the 2019 year of operation, all homeowners pay this assessment when they pay their annual real estate taxes. In order to address the issue that some homeowners did not pay, those homeowners will see an additional assessment in their 2019 real estate tax bill. So, they will pay $500 in the 2020 tax bill. The homeowners who paid our May 2018 invoice will see the standard $250 in their 2020 tax bill.

Yes, the ultimate goal was for the assessment to be a line item on homeowner’s real estate tax bill. There is a formal process that all government entities need to follow in order to have assessments added to the tax bill. Our District was not created in time to make it through those processes by the deadlines established for the 2018 tax bill, which was sent out before the District Board was established. We worked aggressively and were able to successfully meet all government requirements so the 2019 assessment was included in the 2019 tax bill that homeowners received.

The District assesses a $250 fee annually in each homeowners tax bill as a Non – Ad Valorem assessment (e.g., this assessment is not based on the value of one’s home. Rather it is the same amount for each homeowner).

Working with our Police Neighborhood Liaison, we were advised that most crime in our neighborhood happens during school hours when homes are unoccupied. Having this Patrol during that time has historically reduced the number of incidents in the neighborhood.

The District is governed by Florida Sunshine laws which would allow anyone to request the personal contact information collected by the District. Therefore the Board has determined that the District website is the best way to provide information about the District.