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Coral Springs Boom or Bust?
Grandmother Robbed
by S. Kopperl
I have lived in Coral Springs for more than 25 years. I live in Zip
code 33076. I just read some interesting information about this Zip
code. The South Florida Business Journal has declared it the 5th
wealthiest in South Florida and call it a “ Boomburg".
They claim that " The newest additions to the suburbs, these
communities are home to younger families who live a busy-upscale
lifestyle. The median age is 33.7. This market has the highest
population growth. At 5.3 percent annually-more than 4.5 times the
national figure”. It appears they left one thing out of the
description of the “ Boomburgs”. They aren’t a safe place to live.
This week a 59 year old grandmother was playing with her twin 2
year-old grandsons in a park, a park adjoining an elementary
school. It was 10 AM on a sunny weekday morning. To her and the
kids, it was idyllic. As the kids yelled, more, more, she pushed
them higher on the swings. She paid little attention to the car
that pulled into the lot and parked next to her locked car. She
didn’t understand why no one got out, but, she was busy, enjoying
the company and the day. Within a few minutes, the familiar call
for “juice please” was heard, so it was time for a drink for the
kids. She walked the 15 feet back to her car. The recent visiting
car passenger had smashed the window, reached in and stole the
pocketbook and the baby’s bag that was LOCKED inside the car.
Now you might say, well it’s only a pocketbook, how bad can that be.
If you said that, you’ve never had your things and your identity
stolen. Someone else is now you. Someone else has your credit
cards, your checks, your money, your driver’s license and your
keys. You have suffered an economic loss, a sentimental loss, and
most importantly, a loss of peace of mind. When the best thing you
can feel is relief that you weren’t hurt or killed, something is
wrong. You, change locks, stop credit cards, inform banks, go to
the DMV and try to take inventory of those items you’ve lost. You
can fix most of the economic damage, but you can’t easily fix the
physiological damage. You no longer trust a sunny Coral Springs park
on a busy street at 10AM.
The police came, took a statement, and filed a report. They were
good at this as they said this was the 10th reported smash and grab
this week in Coral Springs. It appears that the “Boomburgs” are a
boom for stealing other people’s stuff.
I grew up in house, in NYC in the 50’s. We didn’t lock doors. We
were able to leave our car 15 feet away without the fear of having
it broken into.
I don’t have the answer, but I know the problem. It is not
acceptable to feel unsafe to use a park in your neighborhood. It is
not acceptable to feel violated when you take your family to the
park. Maybe we have to move to a Zip code that not a “Boomburg”.
Coral Springs use to claim that it was the best place, “ to live,
work and raise a family”, For now, I’d just settle for safe.
comments:
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6/01/2010
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