2nd Precinct Citizens Advisory Committee
MEETING AGENDA
CITIZENS’ ADVISORY COMMITTEE (2nd Police Precinct)
MARK YOUR CALENDAR:
Next CAC meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 11 in the conference room of VBVRS Station #14, 740 VB Blvd (aka: 17th Street) at 7:00 PM. All are invited to attend. Please park on the east side of the building.
Location:Rescue Squad, Sta #14, Conference Room, 740 VB Blvd, 23451
WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS:
Recap of Second Precinct CAC Meeting of May 14, 2025
The Citizens’ Advisory Committee met in Virginia Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad (VBVRS) Station #14 Conference Room on May 14, 2025. Fourteen (14) people attended.
After a round of introductions, CAC President, M. C. “Connie” Agresti offered reminders and public service announcements:
- Early voting is underway for the June 17 Primaries.Registered voters may cast ballots in either Republican or Democratic primary (but not both) regardless of their registered party affiliation.
- He relayed Captain Wesseler’s responses to questions from the April CAC:
- Persons > 21 years of age may legally possess up to one ounce of marijuana in public but may not smoke it in public; may not smoke marijuana or use any marijuana product in a motor vehicle on a public highway (whether driver or passenger); may grow a maximum of four marijuana plants at home for personal use; may not consume any marijuana or marijuana product in public or offer it to another.
- Officers cannot stop a vehicle for expired registration or safety inspection until the first day of the fourth month after expiration.
- Announced that “summer seasonal rules” for dogs on the beach go into effect at 6:00 PM on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend (May 23).Visit Dog Friendly Parks & Beaches | City of Virginia Beach for full details and dog safety tips.
- Hurricane Season begins June 1.Visit Office of Emergency Management at Emergency Management | City of Virginia Beach for preparedness information, evac zones, etc.
- Two slots remain unfilled for Adopt-a-Muster – Sunday, August 31 (Labor Day weekend), and Sunday, September 21 (NAS Oceana Air Show).Please contact Jenny Perry at adoptamustervb@gmail.com if your organization can sponsor or help sponsor.
- As the summer season starts, be on the lookout for people who exhibit signs of coercion or being under someone else’s control.Learn the signs at Recognizing the Signs | National Human Trafficking Hotline .Safe House Project slick sheet attached.
- Offered collective appreciation for the dozens of arrests and illegal weapons confiscated by VBPD (mostly Second Precinct) officers over the three-day College Beach Weekend (April 25 – 27). See attached photo to see thenumber of extended and rotary magazines and fully automatic weapons retrieved.
Mr. Agresti introduced Detective Caleb Davey of the VBPD Economic Crimes Unit. Det. Davey’s presentation on current crimes being perpetrated in Virginia Beach was regrettably shortened due to meeting time constraints, however, he provided many informative handouts. Some of his handouts are attached to provide additional information on how you can protect yourselves from exploitation, as well as the type of information “Econ Crimes” requires from those who have been victimized.
Three most common economic crimes impacting Virginia Beach residents are: credit card compromise/ fraud, identity theft, and bigamy – the latter of which received a chuckle. Embezzlement from institutions (e.g., churches, charities, homeowner associations) is also common since many of these associations (a) lack sufficient numbers of volunteers to segregate financial management duties, (b) perform necessary audits, or (c) are reluctant to prosecute when financial losses are discovered.
NEVER let another person use your cellphone – no matter what “my car, my phone, my grandmother, my child” sob story they plead. In these cases, thieves are so adept that they can drain bank accounts in seconds (literally). To further protect yourselves, a good practice is to “Freeze” your credit rating with the three credit monitoring companies – Experian, TransUnion, Equifax.[1] Be sure you’re on their legitimate website because they may not be the first to populate if you Googe search for those names. (see attachment) Hint: beware of the small “ad” square on top left of search results – those can be for-profit companies, not the free credit services. You can easily “unfreeze” credit if you are soon making a large purchase (e.g., automobile) or applying for a loan.
Some of Det. Davey’s key take-away points:
- A high percentage of losses due to credit card compromises are due to the card holder’s own carelessness, so think about your card’s exposure before use, rather than simply acting in rote.
- Beware of skimming devices
- Minimize the exposure of your credit card by using the “Tap to Pay” electronic feature.
- Avoid using debit cards, if possible.It is more difficult to recover lost funds that come directly from someone’s checking account versus a credit card where the banks have incentives to recover funds.
- Purchasing apps, like “Apple Pay” are also relatively secure.
- Limit checking account balances to just the amount of funds necessary to cover your immediate bills.This also helps protect against loss if checks are stolen from the mail, “washed,” and rewritten for larger amounts.
- Bank online, if you can.
- Elders are frequent targets because they have more money accumulated from a lifetime of earnings than do “twenty-somethings” just starting out.Also, elders tend to be less computer-savvy and more easily fall victim to fast-talking con men and women.
Postscript: On Friday, May 16, The Wall Street Journal ran an article about the marked increase in purchasing fraud being perpetrated in social media, such as Facebook and Instagram.
Mr. Paul Powers, Office of the Commonwealth Attorney, stated that his office acquired a huge workload form the nearly five dozen arrests made over College Beach Weekend – in addition to other arrests being in the Second Precinct. He and his staff are up for the challenge.
Ms. Ruth Anne Steenburg, VB Crime Solvers, mentioned their upcoming fund raiser – a Pig Pickin’ at the Virginia Aviation Museum in Pungo, Saturday, June 7. Please see the accompanying flyer.
She stated that in the last month, Crime Solvers received 84 tips, paid out $1,550 in rewards, and helped police recover more than $6,000.
Mr. Mark Stevens, Human Rights Commission, stated that he was present on the Oceanfront for two of the nights of College Beach Weekend. He found that police did a “fantastic job” throughout but said that businesses and citizens have more to do. He did not elaborate but did allude to a “wild west” scenario with the many weapons on the street.
Mr. Mike Leigh, Great Neck Recreation Center, spoke of swimming leagues completing and mentioned the many summer programs offered. Visit the Parks and Recreation website from virginiabeach.gov for activity listings for all Rec Centers.
In recognition of Military Appreciation Month, all active-duty military and veterans are offered free access to Rec Centers on Fridays during May.
All Rec Centers will be closed on May 21 in observance of Memorial Day.
Second Precinct Commander Captain Bradley Wesseler acknowledged that police were not expecting the size or composition (i.e., extent of weapons carried) of the crowds that descended upon the Oceanfront on College Beach Weekend. He stated that the crowds expanded from a few dozen to nearly 5,000 within 20 minutes, thereby overwhelming police and security presence.
Capt. Wesseler spoke of an increase in automobile window smashing incidents as a means of thieves accessing vehicles and cautioned that even locking one’s vehicle is not sufficient anymore. To increase safety, valuables (especially firearms) need to be removed from vehicles.
Capt. Wesseler praised the organization and performance of the Live Nation staff at The Dome in clearing traffic. He stated that outdoor concerts would be starting soon.
He advised that a Maryland High School Senior Week that has become unwelcome in their former preferred location of Ocean City, MD is expected to “land” in Virginia Beach the week of June 17 – 24. He cautioned communities with rental units to be aware of misbehavior and report such to the police at 757-385-5000 (9-1-1 if a bona fide emergency).
Ms. Patty Jarm, CAC Vice President, asked what options citizens have when they encounter mentally ill persons arguing with themselves or passers-by at the Boardwalk. The police do have Crisis Intervention Team (CIT)-trained officers on all shifts. Postscript: On Saturday, May 17, Mr. Agresti obtained the attached Mental Health Resources page from a member of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Also visit NAMI Coastal Virginia | National Alliance on Mental Illness .
Capt. Wesseler continues to encourage visitation at the variety of events being hosted on the Oceanfront, including:
- Salute to Summer, May 23 - 25
- Memorial Day Commemoration, May 26
- Jackalope Festival, May 30 – June 1
- North American Sand Soccer Tournament, June 6 – 8
- Point Break Music Festival, June 21 - 22
Visit Logistics for Locals – Logistics for Locals During 2025 Oceanfront… | City of Virginia Beach to learn about your options during the 2025 Event Season
Next CAC meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 11 in the conference room of VBVRS Station #14, 740 VB Blvd (aka: 17th Street) at 7:00 PM. All are invited to attend. Please park on the east side of the building.