193-1999 LTC
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CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
CITY HALL 1700 CONVENTION CENTER DRIVE MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA 33139
http:\\ci.miami-beach.fl.us
193-1999
L.T.C. No.
LETTER TO COMMISSION
October 1, 1999
SUBJECT:
Mayor Neisen O. Kasdin and
Members of the City Commission
Sergio Rodriguez # _
City Manager ~
ENTERTAIN ENT DISTRICT INITIATIVES
TO:
FROM:
This Letter to the Commission is to advise the members of the City Commission regarding strategies
that our Police Department is taking in the South Beach Entertainment District. The administration
of the Police Department has met continuously with the members of the Washington Avenue Task
Force, as well as other interested parties, to listen and respond to their concerns regarding quality of
life issues.
Based on those meetings, the Police Department has developed an Entertainment District Initiative
action plan to address these concerns. This plan provides for the creation of an "Entertainment
District Task Force" for a two-month period. The plan provides for the appointment of a single
Commander, Captain Casey Conwell, who will coordinate and be responsible for this initiative.
Captain Conwell will have the authority in all matters of staffing, supervising and reporting of the
Initiative's activities. One of the principal goals is to properly coordinate all on-duty policing efforts
with the off-duty security efforts in a holistic approach to address the concerns in the Entertainment
District during the weekends.
In addition to this new initiative, the amendments to the "Drinking in Public Ordinance" should be
adopted by the City Commission at its October 6, 1999 meeting, thereby enhancing the enforcement
of these violations. The Police Department has also proposed to the State's Attorneys Office the use
of "Mapping." The "Mapping" process consists of the designation of districts and zones within a
city (identified by the number of prostitutes who frequent the area), which serves the ultimate goal
of restricting prostitutes from entering and/or remaining in a given zone as a special condition of a
probation sentence imposed by the court. This eventually will have the effect of discouraging them
from using the City as a "place of business."
The current Ocean Drive Task Force will be integrated into the Washington Avenue Task Force and
will now be known as the "Entertainment District Task Force." This integrated approach will provide
a more coordinated enforcement effort. The new Task Force will direct its enforcement efforts
toward "high visibility," "zero tolerance for criminal activity," and "quality of life issues" with the
following issues as priorities:
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1. Continued "zero tolerance" enforcement ofthe juvenile curfew ordinance. In addition, to
taking the juvenile into custody, police officers will now focus on towing the vehicles of
curfew violators.
2. Officers assigned to traffic enforcement will direct their attention to vehicle laws (tint,
radio, alcohol), and enforcement of the anti-cruising ordinance.
3. Officers assigned to Lummus Park enforcement will direct their attention to enforcement
of Park Closure Ordinances (City Ordinance) and Illegal Drugs (violations of Florida
Statutes).
4. Officers assigned to Ocean Drive will be instructed to enforce the illegal vending
ordinance (City Code Section 74-1, Soliciting business in public from pedestrians wlo
license) and to confiscate goods being illegally sold by these vendors.
5. Officers will be assigned to cite and tow illegally parked vehicles in the alleyways of
Ocean Court and Collins Court. There will be "zero tolerance" for these violations.
The Entertainment District Task Force will add twenty-four (24) additional police officers to the
Entertainment District on Friday and Saturday nights between the hours of 11 :OOpm and 5:00am. On
Sundays, six (6) additional police officers will enhance current efforts. In all, we will add an
additional thirty (30) police officers on the weekends.
In addition to these dedicated resources, the Entertainment District Initiative will utilize the
following:
1. The Police Department will staff one of its prisoner transport vans and it will be dedicated
to the Entertainment District
2. The Police Department's Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) motorcycles will
coordinate their activities and be available to the Entertainment District on Friday, Saturday,
and Sunday with enforcement being coordinated on an as-needed basis.
3. The Miami-Dade County Animal Control Department has been requested to work Ocean
Drive on Sundays. Animal Control Officers will assist in deterring illegal vendors who use
birds, snakes or other exotic animals to take pictures. Animal Control Officers will confiscate
the animals used in this illegal vending.
4. A Detention Officer will be on duty at the Police Headquarters Building to assist in
processing arrestees and curfew violators.
5. The Police Department's Gang Squad will be assigned to work the Sunday detail on an as-
needed basis.
6. The Miami-Dade County Police Department Multi-Agency Gang Task Force (MAGTF)
has been scheduled to work on October 15th and November 12th.
As can be seen, the Police Department has worked diligently to listen and respond to the requests
of the Washington Avenue Task Force and others who are concerned with the issues in the
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Entertainment District. I will keep you advised as to the results of this initiative.
SR/~/~/MMS
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