139-2000 LTC
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
CITY HALL 1700 CONVENTION CENTER ORIVE MIAMI BEACH. FLORIDA 33t39
http:\\ci.miami.beach.f1.us
L.T.C. No. 139-2000
LETTER TO COMMISSION
July 21, 2000
FROM:
Mayor Neisen O. Kasdin and
Members of the City Commission
Lawrence ~~Le3ft ~
City Manar- .
TO:
SUBJECT:
CITYWIDE TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT PLAN - OPERATION STEP 2000
This Letter to the Commission is to advise the Mayor and City Commission of a citywide traffic
enforcement plan by the Police Department - Operation STEP 2000.
There exists in the South Florida area in general, and the City ofMiarni Beach in particular, a heavy
volume of traffic composed of residents, visitors and foreign nationals. Our City's extraordinary
nightlife creates a carnival atmosphere that spills out of the nightclubs into the roadways. Citizens
seem to display an attitude that "order maintenance" laws are not enforced and "anything goes" when
driving in our city. This attitude runs the spectrum of activities from pedestrians crossing of
roadways to traffic behavior and the lawlessness related to drinking in the errtertainment district. As
a result of this behavior, our residents and visitors suffer thousands of traffic accidents each year.
In an effort to reduce the number of traffic accidents and attempt to control erratic traffic behavior,
the Police Department has created a Special Traffic Enforcement Detai1. This Detail will be staffed
with officers currently assigned to our Accident Investigation Unit, the Selective Traffic
Enforcement (STEP) Unit and District police officers. The Special Traffic Enforcement Detail has
been directed to implement Operation STEP 2000. And will have the responsibility of providing
direction and overall coordination ofthe data collected.
Operation STEP 2000 is a "Zero Tolerance" enforcernent initiative. Enforcement will focus on
dangerous driving and will be designed for maximum results from the initial encounter with the
violator to the eventual disposition of the case in court, to include aggressive prosecution at all levels
of the court system.
The STEP Unit, augmented with district police officers, will provide the majority of enforcement.
District police officers and supervisors will be enlisted to conduct traffic enforcement activities in
their respective areas of responsibility based on a strategy formulated from statistical data collected
from their specific area. The strategy will continually evolve as new data is collected and analyzed.
Letter to the Commission
Citywide Traffic Enforcement Plan
Page 2
The STEP Unit will use the Police Department SMART Trailers (the mobile speed reading machines
that displays to the driver hislher speed). SMART Trailers will be placed in identified areas where
speed is a problem. The times and locations of the SMART Trailers will be varied and enforcement
will almost always follow after a SMART Trailer has been moved.
The STEP Unit will be primarily responsible for enforcement on State roads such as 71 'I Street,
Collins Avenue, Alton Road, and the MacArthur Causeway. The STEP Unit will also be responsible
for removal of abandoned and derelict vehicles anywhere in the City, conducting parking
enforcement "blitzes," enforcement of school zone violations, and coordinating the enforcement
efforts of the Florida Highway Patrol in our City.
District police officers wilI be responsible for dedicating their uncommitted patrol time to vigorously
enforce traffic violations in their area of responsibility. In order to ensure the problems are being
addressed, they will be provided with statistical data indicating the particular traffic problems in their
area of responsibility, i.e., speeding, illegal left hand turns, etc.
Operation STEP 2000 wilI be implemented beginning Monday, July 24, 2000. I will provide the
Mayor and City Commission periodic reports of the progress as the information is provided to me
by th~~ Department.
LAL:~:Dl):GT:PS:MMS
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