Police increase patrols of Colony, Whitney Beach

A recent string of incidents has prompted Longboat Key Police Chief Al Hogle to ask officers to increase their visibility and provide extra patrol at the shuttered Colony Beach & Tennis Resort and the largely vacant Whitney Beach Plaza, both of which “are very vulnerable to vandalism and other public-safety issues,” Hogle wrote in a March 8 email to police department employees.

“The town is working within its available resources/tools to provide both locations with an opportunity for recovery/re-modeling/replacement/etc.,” Hogle wrote. “In the future, take a couple of extra minutes during your shift to be very visible and provide extra patrol at these locations.”

Last week a string of vandalisms occurred at the Colony that police believe could be the result of spring-breakers, according to Hogle. Doors of multiple units had been kicked in, and the culprits clearly entered the units, although nothing was stolen and no major damage occurred. Police don’t have a definite timeframe for the incidents, which could have happened as long as one month ago. Police have not yet released reports for the incidents, which remain under investigation.

Longtime Colony owner Dr. Murray “Murf” Klauber didn’t want to comment about the incidents but said that he has noticed additional patrols over the last week.

Richard Juliani, whose company, the Boston-based Juliani Kenney Investment Capital LLC, owns Whitney Beach Plaza, said that the shopping center has had minor incidents such as thefts of air-conditioning units, which haven’t been reported, and the dumping of trash on the property. Police have increased their patrol of the plaza area since he reported the trash dumping last month, Juliani said.

The Colony is largely encircled by a neighborhood, which makes it difficult to access, according to Hogle, while the plaza is located in a highly visible area, which serves as a deterrent. However, he said that both properties are vulnerable because of the lack of people.

The 237-unit Colony closed in August 2010 as the result of a longstanding dispute between the partnership that ran the Colony and the Colony Beach & Tennis Association. The historic resort remains the focus of ongoing litigation.

Juliani Kenney purchased the distressed plaza in December 2010. Juliani said that he hopes to finalize the plaza’s construction budget this month and begin work on the property after peak season.