Miami Beach City Commissioners Considering New Measures To Address Crime In Entertainment District
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - The City of Miami Beach says they are making progress in fighting crime after city commissioners say they are considering new legislation they say will help address the quality of life concern in the entertainment district.
"It's pretty scary sometimes, you hear like the shooting and things like that I really don't like it," said Carolyn Redondo, who is among the many Miami Beach residents concerned with crime on the beach.
Miami Beach commissioner Steve Meiner is hoping to help propose 10 new laws he believes will tackle the problem.
"Ninety-two percent of our city prosecution arrests were dismissed either by our city prosecutor or by the court so there's no consequence for the actions. They were just literally dismissed," said Meiner, who added he wants to put an end to the revolving door of criminals in the area.
Part of that effort includes the creation of new laws.
"Five additional misdemeanors that our city prosecution team will have jurisdiction over, battery, criminal mischief, discharge of a firearm, indecent exposure, and trespassing."
In addition to the new laws, Meiner proposes the creation of a two-person city prosecution team, a cost of about $165,000 per year, and several residents say they're in support.
"I do think there has to be some sort of balancing with both residential and tourism quality of life issues and it can't just be an anything goes type city," said resident Joseph Magazine.
But the commission was mixed on many of the proposed 10 laws and voted against several of them, to which Meiner said he plans to revisit them in the coming months.
"Prosecution could means many things, it could mean jail time, it could mean a rehabilitation program, it could mean probation. Anything, but not this constant arrest and just repeat over and over."
The commission did approve the legislation that will allow them to hire the new prosecuting team but that effort will not go into effect until February.
