Holmes Beach Police Department

08/27/2026

On Tuesday, there were 9 school zone tickets issued by the speed cameras. 5 of the tickets were to island residents🤦. One of them was for 37 mph through the school zone😮.

🚨 Please pay attention and slow down! 🚨

08/20/2026

🚨 WAKE UP CALL, COMMUNITY! 🚨

Last week, speed cameras issued 21 speeding citations in our school zone. This happened despite having firetrucks, an ambulance, and police cars parked right out front with their emergency lights flashing! 🚑🚔🚒🚓

The risky behavior continued yesterday (Wednesday) with 11 more tickets issued. Shockingly, 2 of those tickets went to the exact same person. They were caught driving 31 MPH northbound, and then caught again driving 28 MPH southbound right back through the school zone! 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♂️

Please slow down and drive safely! Protecting our kids takes all of us.

08/18/2026

Temporary stop signs have been put at Gulf Dr. and Holmes Blvd. to make the intersection a 4-way stop to help with the detour traffic exiting from Holmes Blvd. Please pay attention to the detours and traffic. Thank you.

08/12/2026

🚨 SCAM OF THE WEEK: A Vote You’ll Regret 🚨

Imagine opening WhatsApp and seeing a message from a friend. They ask you to vote for their niece in a dance recital or their pet in a contest. The message feels urgent, but since it's from someone you trust, you click the link.

STOP! Think twice. 🛑

This is a trap to take over your WhatsApp account. Clicking the "vote" link opens a fake verification page. If you connect, cybercriminals instantly take over your account, read your private messages, and steal your personal info. Then, they impersonate you to scam your entire contact list!

Protect yourself with these quick tips:

* Verify first: Call or text your friend outside of WhatsApp to confirm they actually sent the link.
* Deny random links: Never link a new device to your account unless you started the setup yourself.
* Audit your settings: Regularly check "Linked Devices" in WhatsApp. Log out of any device you do not recognize.

Stay safe online and share this to protect your friends and family!

08/07/2026

08/07/2026

⚠️🚓🚔 Starting Saturday, August 8th, The Holmes Beach Police Department will resume enforcing the parking rules at Kingfish boat ramp.

🚧 The construction of the boat ramp area has been completed, and the parking areas have been marked with the proper signage.

🅿️🚫 Please be observant of the new parking signs as you enter the parking area and park accordingly. There will be no warnings issued. 🚨🚨

Please see the attached map of the parking areas.🗺🗺

08/06/2026

🛑 School starts next week, and that means more buses on the road. Do you know when you’re required to stop?
🚌 On a two-lane road, traffic in both directions must stop for a stopped school bus.
🚌 On a multi-lane road with no barrier, traffic in both directions must stop for a stopped school bus.
🚌 On a road divided by a barrier or an unpaved space at least five feet wide, drivers behind the bus must stop. Drivers traveling in the opposite direction may continue with caution.
These laws help protect children getting to and from school. Please do your part and drive safely.

08/05/2026

Scam of the Week

One Letter Away from a Scam

A message pops up in your Facebook Messenger inbox from what appears to be an official Facebook account, “Meta Verified.” Unusually, the account name is misspelled as "Verrified," with an extra “r.” But what catches your attention is that the message says your Facebook account shows unusual activity. It includes a PDF attachment and warns that your account will be permanently deleted if you don't respond within 24 hours. The message includes the official Meta logo and states that it is encrypted, so at a glance, it seems real.

But this message is actually a phishing scam! Cybercriminals hope that you’ll be alarmed by the urgent warning about account deletion and act without thinking. If you open the PDF file, it could contain malicious links or direct you to a fake website that is designed to steal your personal data!

Follow these tips to avoid falling victim to this Facebook phishing scam:

If you receive an account warning through Facebook Messenger, don't open any attachments. Go directly to the Facebook app or website yourself to check your account status.

Use caution any time you receive an unexpected message that seems urgent. Cybercriminals often try to trick you by rushing you into acting before you’ve had a chance to think.

In this particular scam, the message you receive is from an account with a misspelled name. Unusual account names or grammatical errors in “official” messages should always be treated as a red flag.

08/03/2026

Security Hints & Tips

Advance-Fee Scams
Advance-fee scams are very common, but they're often overlooked. Cybercriminals take advantage of payout opportunities, like loans or investments, to try and steal your money or financial information. Read below to learn more about advance-fee scams and how to protect yourself.

What Are Advance Fees?
An advance fee is a payment made to a person or an organization before receiving a loan or an investment. For example, some ATMs will charge you an advance fee before you can take money out of your account. Also, if you need a loan, some lending institutions will charge you an advance fee before you can receive the full loan amount.

What Are Advance-Fee Scams?
In an advance-fee scam, cybercriminals will send a phishing email offering you an opportunity to earn a large sum of money, usually in the form of a grant or loan. In this email, cybercriminals will tell you that you need to pay a small advance fee in order to get the money. To seem more legitimate, cybercriminals use trusted payment platforms like PayPal. If the cybercriminal receives a payment or your financial information, they usually stop all contact. The cybercriminal, your money, and the fake financial opportunity practically disappear.

What Can I Do to Stay Safe?
Follow the tips below to stay safe from advance-fee scams:

Be cautious of unexpected payout opportunities. Remember, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is!
If you're looking for a loan or investment opportunity, work with well-known financial institutions. Then, speak to a legitimate representative to find out if an advance fee is needed.
Always think before you click. Cyberattacks are designed to catch you off guard and trick you into clicking impulsively.

07/29/2026

School zone speed enforcement will begin on August 10th the first day of school with tickets being issued for people driving 26 MPH or higher between the hours 7:30 - 8:40 am and 2:45 - 3:45 pm.



There will be No Warnings issued. Please slow down and drive safe!