MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – Miami Beach City Commissioners discussed security during a virtual town hall Monday.
They acknowledge what has been seen recently is crazy, violent and out of control.
Police have been hitting the streets and making hundreds of arrests, vowing to keep doing it. The question is however, is it enough?
Tourists have talked about arming themselves with sticks for self-defense.
There has been a rash of violence in Miami Beach; fights, stabbings and shootings.
The crime has been overwhelming South Beach for weeks, driven by out-of-towners apparently bringing their pandemic fatigue.
“The vast majority of these incidents are visitor on visitor,” said Miami Beach City Commissioner Mark Samuelian. “The problem that we have is that we’re not policing the same people.”
During Monday’s virtual town hall, Miami Beach residents hit the police chief and other city leaders with demands to fix the crime problem.
“I wish I had the number of officers that would be needed to put an officer on every corner,” said Miami Beach Police Chief Richard Clements.
Officers have been fighting back, first with an Art Deco Cultural District Special Task Force, and now calling reinforcements from county police, making more than 100 arrests over the weekend.
Chief Clements promised the frustrated and concerned residents that officers will be out in intimidating force on weekends through spring break, playing offense on potential trouble.
“Obviously the goal on our part is to push it so far west it goes back over the bridge,” said Clements.
Wednesday the city commission will meet again to discuss enforcement of the city’s noise ordinance and find out what else they can do about the ongoing situation.