Resolution 2025-33940 RESOLUTION NO. 2025-33940
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF
MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, REITERATING THE DIRECTIVE AND CLARIFYING
THE PROCEDURE, AS SET FORTH HEREIN, TO BE UTILIZED IN SELECTING
NOTABLE CRIMINAL CASES CONCERNING PERSONS ARRESTED FOR
CRIMES COMMITTED IN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH INCLUDING, BUT NOT
LIMITED TO, THOSE CASES INVOLVING HABITUAL OFFENDERS, HATE
CRIMES, HIGH-PROFILE CASES, AND SIGNIFICANT COURT RULINGS
(INCLUDING RULINGS THAT ALLOW DANGEROUS REPEAT OFFENDERS
TO BE RELEASED FROM CUSTODY) FOR INCLUSION ON THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT WEBSITE PURSUANT TO RESOLUTION NO. 2024-33131.
WHEREAS, the City is committed to reducing all crime (including felony, misdemeanor,
ordinance, and quality of life offenses) and repeat offenses, and bringing social services to those
that may find it difficult to otherwise obtain such services; and
WHEREAS, each day many tourists and other visitors arrive in the City and, unfortunately,
an unacceptably large number of such individuals commit crimes while in the City; and
WHEREAS, the commission of criminal offenses is not only potentially damaging to the
City's reputation, but also adversely affects the lives of the City's residents and the experience of
tourists and visitors when victimized or concerned about potentially becoming victimized; and
WHEREAS, the City's Municipal Prosecution Team is responsible for the prosecution of
all cases in which a Defendant is solely arrested for committing one (1) or more violations of the
City's criminal ordinances (without any accompanying State law or County ordinance violations);
and
WHEREAS, the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office is the entity responsible for the
prosecution of defendants arrested for the commission of any felony, misdemeanor, and/or
County ordinance violation(s) occurring in the City; and
WHEREAS, with certain very limited exceptions, the various Judges of the Eleventh
Judicial Circuit, in and for Miami-Dade County, preside over the criminal cases of all such
arrestees; and
WHEREAS, dangerous repeat offenders have been released from custody and/or given
generous plea deals despite lengthy criminal records and prior criminal convictions; and
WHEREAS, one Defendant, Perry Smith, a repeat criminal offender who was released
from custody after being arrested for assaulting an elderly Miami Beach resident in 2024, then
proceeded to batter an out-of-country tourist (who was the CEO of Kempinski Hotels, a luxury
European hospitality company); and
WHEREAS, in 2025, just a few months after accepting a plea bargain on those two (2)
cases, Smith was rearrested for battering a German sports journalist (who came to Miami Beach
to work) by punching him in the face and back until another person in a wheelchair was able to
intervene and stop the attack by placing his wheelchair between Smith and the victim; and
WHEREAS, another Defendant, Christopher Pitre, an accused serial burglar and a repeat
offender who in 2024 pointed a gun with a red laser beam at the chest of a Miami Beach
resident/City Commissioner, was released from custody just several months after that incident
with an ankle monitor; and
WHEREAS, Pitre promptly proceeded to remove the ankle monitor and go "on the run,"
but fortunately Miami Beach police officers were able to quickly apprehend Pitre who now faces
a slew of cases and charges for serial burglaries and other offenses; and
WHEREAS, many City residents and business owners have taken a keen interest in, and
are profoundly concerned about, the progress and outcome of criminal cases such as these as
the cases proceed through the judicial system; and
WHEREAS, the Miami Beach Police Department, in collaboration with the Information
Technology Department, launched a "Crime Statistics" page on the Police Department website
that provides statistical crime data, along with a monthly crime dashboard and a daily arrest
dashboard; and
WHEREAS, the "Crime Statistics" page has been implemented in an effort to foster
transparency and to empower City leaders and the public by providing a tool to monitor crime
across the entire City in a more comprehensive manner; and
WHEREAS, statistical crime and prosecution data, in conjunction with case disposition
data, can be utilized as an effective tool to acquire a detailed understanding surrounding criminal
conduct; and
WHEREAS, statistical data and case outcome information can also assist in identifying
any challenges that may have impacted the successful prosecution of those persons committing
criminal offenses in the City; and
WHEREAS, statistical crime and prosecution data can further assist by providing guidance
as to any tools, policies, procedures and/or resources that can be implemented and/or utilized to
aid in the future prosecution of criminal offenders; and
WHEREAS, including notable criminal case progression and outcomes on the Police
Department website, including any custody releases on such cases, will increase transparency
and provide the public with a readily accessible source from which to obtain information regarding
the prosecution of some of the criminal cases of greatest interest in the City; and
WHEREAS, upon receipt of a request by the City Attorney's Office or any elected official,
the Police Department shall include a criminal case on the Notable Case tracker on its "Crime
Statistics" page, which should include information such as the defendanYs name, court case
number, pending charges, assigned judge, custody status, and a brief description regarding any
significant development in such case(s); and
WHEREAS, the Police Department, as the arresting agency, should also include any high-
profile or hate crime cases on the Notable Case tracker on the"Crime Statistics" page irrespective
of whether a request for such inclusion has been received from the City Attorney's Office or any
elected official.
2
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT DULY RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY
COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, that the Mayor and City
Commission hereby reiterate the directive and clarify the procedure, as set forth herein, to be
utilized in selecting notable criminal cases concerning persons arrested for crimes committed in
the City of Miami Beach including, but not limited to, those cases involving habitual offenders,
hate crimes, high-profile cases, and significant court rulings (including rulings that allow
dangerous repeat offenders to be released from custody) for inclusion on the Police Department
website pursuant to Resolution No. 2024-33131.
PASSED and ADOPTED this �� day of ����rnJ{/ , 2025.
.
ATTEST:
Steven Meiner, Mayor
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Rafael E. Granado, City Clerk :���;�w,��,�� ,
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(Sponsored by Mayor Steven Meiner) �;,�.. , ;::
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Co-Sponsored by Commissioner Alex J.Femandez ''����"�"���•
Co-Spo��or�� py Commissioner David Suarez
Co-Sponsored by Commissioner Tanya K.Bhatt
. APPROVED AS TO
FORM & LANGUAGE
XECUTION
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City Attomey-^ �f'� D�e
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Resolutions - R7 M
�/1 I A�/1 I B EAC H
COMMISSION MEMORANDUM
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Commission
FROM: City Attorney Ricardo J. Dopico
DATE: September 17, 2025
TITLE: A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF
MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, REITERATING THE DIRECTIVE AND CLARIFYING THE
PROCEDURE, AS SET FORTH HEREIN, TO BE UTILIZED IN SELECTING
NOTABLE CRIMINAL CASES CONCERNING PERSONS ARRESTED FOR
CRIMES COMMITTED IN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH INCLUDING, BUT NOT
LIMITED TO, THOSE CASES INVOLVING HABITUAL OFFENDERS, HATE
CRIMES, HIGH-PROFILE CASES, AND SIGNIFICANT COURT RULINGS
(INCLUDING RULINGS THAT ALLOW DANGEROUS REPEAT OFFENDERS TO
BE RELEASED FROM CUSTODY) FOR INCLUSION ON THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT WEBSITE PURSUANT TO RESOLUTION NO. 2024-33131.
RECOMMENDAI tON
BACKGROUND/HISTORY
ANALYSIS
The attached Resolution was prepared at the request of the sponsor, Mayor Steven Meiner.
FISCAL IMPACT STATEMENT
The sponsor of this item requests that the Administration be prepared to address the fiscal impact
of this proposed measure, if any, at the City Commission meeting.
Does this Ordinance require a Business Impact Estimate?
{FOR ORDINANCES ONLY)
If applicable, the Business Impact Estimate (BIE) was pubiished on:
See BIE at: https://www.miamibeachfl.qov/city-halllcitv-clerk/meetinq-notices/
FINANCIAL INFORMATION
CONCLUSION
798 of 1214
Applicable Area
Citywide
Is this a "Residents Riqht to Know" item, Is this item related to a G.O. Bond
pursuant to Citv Code Section 2-17? Proiect?
No No
Was this Aqenda Item initiallv requested bv a lobbvist which, as defined in Code Sec. 2-481,
includes a principal enqaqed in lobbvina? No
If so, specify the name of lobbyist(s) and principal(s):
Department
City Attorney
Sponsor(s)
Mayor Steven Meiner
Co-sponsor(s)
Condensed Title
NR- Inclusion of Notable Cases on MBPD Website. (Meiner) CA
Previous Action (For Citv Clerk Use Onlv)
Not reached on 9/3/2025 - R7 V
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