Carrabelle Considers Curfew

The city of Carrabelle is considering passing a curfew and the Franklin County Commission is writing Sheriff Mock in the face of numerous complaints about noise, vandalism, ATV violations and even burglary in downtown Carrabelle and at Carrabelle Beach Park.

Paul Osterbye, owner of the Carrabelle Palms RV Park, appeared before the Franklin County Commission on Aug. 4 to receive a plaque thanking him for his volunteer work on the county's Carrabelle Beach Park.

Osterbye told commissioners that vandalism, public drunkenness and rowdy behavior are a constant problem at night in the park and that the newly-renovated facilities have already been damaged by derelicts and young partiers.

"There's not a picnic table or roof down there that hasn't been vandalized. I watched one kid dump a trashcan and break the bottles in it. If you spent one Saturday night with me down there, you'd be mad and you'd be doing something about it," said Osterbye.

Park attendants Angie Clark and Suzie Riley agree with Osterbye. They told the commission they spend every morning painting over obscene graffiti.

"Everything he said is true and it's costing the county money repainting and repairing everything they break at night," said Riley.

"You don't know how many boxes of glass we have picked up and there's no way to get it all," said Clark.

"The deputies are doing what they can, but it's an open park. The deputies can't write citations for trespassing. They need a tool. Signage and closing the park at night would allow the deputies to ticket violators," said Osterbye.

County Attorney Michael Shuler said, "This is an enforcement issue, the tools are in the box. There are existing laws based on state law. The sheriff's hands are not tied."

Commissioner Cheryl Sanders said, "The commission will write the sheriff and let him know that we are aware there is a problem."

A Burglary in Carrabelle

On August 7, several people appeared before the Carrabelle city commission complaining about rowdiness, vandalism and a burglary in downtown Carrabelle.

Jan Stoutamire told commissioners that her business, Carrabelle Coastal Properties at 201 West Eighth Street, was burglarized on the morning of Wednesday, July 30 between 2 and 4 a.m.

Stoutamire said the watchman for the Moorings Hotel across the street heard breaking glass and circled the area in his golf cart trying to find the source of the noise.

"He said the parking lot of our building was full of kids at around two in the morning but he didn't think anything of it. These kids have nowhere to go and nothing to do. We need to provide activities for them," said Stoutamire.

"At 2 a.m. they ought to be home, not out looking for something to do," said Commissioner Richard Sands.
Rusty Barfield, an employee of Carrabelle Coastal, discovered the burglary. He said the thieves entered by breaking a kitchen window and took Stoutamire's computer, a small television from her office, a digital camera and a broken big screen television.

"The kids have been congregating at the parking area recently because the police have been running them off from some other areas. There's a concrete wall there they can sit on," said Barfield.

"I think somebody disturbed the thieves because some other computers had been turned over like they were being taken apart and there were some other small items that could easily have been taken but were not," he said. "There had to be more than one person, because the big screen weighed over 100 pounds. I don't really believe it was kids."

Problems with Four-wheelers

Shawn Oxendine of 11th Street in Carrabelle said he returned home at 2 a.m. "and was almost run over by two four-wheelers running with no lights as I got out of my car."

Commissioner Ray Tyre said, "We've got problems with four-wheelers about three times a week now. I see four-wheelers on city streets going faster than car traffic. They shouldn't even be on the street."

Sands added that he "will raise other people's children for them if they can't do it. Maybe it's time to address a curfew. Something needs to be done."

City Attorney Dan Hartman said he would look into what can be done and inform Commissioners at their next meeting."

Oxendine said he had an employee shot with a high-powered pellet gun at a job site on Kendrick Road and it took the sheriff's office an hour and 45 minutes to respond. He said the city responded immediately, but did nothing.

"In the case of the gun incident, the sheriff's department was on another call so the city police responded to stabilize the situation," said City Manager John McInnis.

He said that this is also the procedure for incidents at Carrabelle Beach Park, which belongs to the county.
"What needs to happen is people need to get together and start turning these kids in," Sands said. " I promise you that, in the long run, you're going to help the kids you turn in."

Osterbye said, "I witnessed some people throwing bottles on the dunes, followed them home and brought the police to them. Van Johnson, of Parks and Recreation, signed a trespassing warrant and these people, who turned out to be adults, are now banned from the park."