05-18-2008, 06:07 PM
MIRAMAR
Miramar officials want to bolster police force
Because of an increase in crime -- especially armed robberies -- Miramar hopes to add more police officers to patrol the streets and more money for police overtime.
Posted on Sun, May. 18, 2008Digg del.icio.us AIM reprint print email
BY ROBERT SAMUELS
rsamuels@MiamiHerald.com
One thing seems to be on the mind of every elected official in Miramar these days: crime, and how to stop it.
The concern comes on the heels of a two-month spate of armed robberies in relatively tranquil parts of the city, as well as consistent complaints about vandalism in many residential neighborhoods.
Declaring that crime is ''head and shoulders'' above any other issue facing Miramar, commissioners recently pressed City Manager Bob Payton to find more money for the police department.
Commissioner Troy Samuels made an impromptu resolution to add six officers to the police force and find $500,000 in overtime pay. His fellow commissioners backed him up, then said it wasn't enough.
Mayor Lori Moseley also called for adding a second safe-street unit to the police department for more patrol officers.
Miramar appears to stand alone in its battle against crime. Other nearby cities that share similar traits with Miramar, such as Pembroke Pines and Weston, say they have not experienced a similar crime wave.
So why Miramar? Several reasons, officials said.
The Southwest Broward city is the closest to Miami-Dade municipalities such as Miami Gardens, whose mayor, Shirley Gibson, has warned that crime is moving north and that Miramar would logically be hit next.
The city's location also boasts several good highways to get into Miami-Dade, such as Interstate 75, Florida's Turnpike and Interstate 95.
And then there's the economy.
''As the economic times get more difficult as they are in this nation, I think we're going to see more of this [criminal activity] and whatever we can do to help more enforcement is important,'' Moseley said.
For Moseley, the economy -- this thing that is propelling people to commit crimes -- could also be the single biggest reason why the city's response could be limited.
Times are hard and money is scarce, with municipalities particularly hard hit. If this crime trend continues, Moseley said the city might need to slightly raise property tax rates to make up the difference.
City Commissioner Carl Lanke agreed. ''People are willing to take a cents increase, I think,'' he said.
Ron Simon-Menendez, a homeowner on the city's east side, said a group of young people were bullying others and setting off stink bombs in his neighborhood.
''I've never seen anything like this in Miramar,'' Simon-Menendez said.
Similar stories of bad or criminal behavior have popped up throughout the city.
Starting in February, there have been at least 14 robberies around the city, including the subdivisions of Monarch Lakes and the gated Villages of Renaissance.
Police spokesman Bill Robertson said none of the cases have been solved, nor is there any indication that the robberies were connected.
Still, organized crime is no stranger to the city. In January, Miramar police teamed up with federal agents to charge 13 gang members who were affiliating themselves with the infamous Bloods gang.
Police applied for and received a $25,000 grant from the federal Department of Justice to root out gang activity. The money will supply overtime pay -- which directly translates to putting more officers on the street, Robertson said.
The grant contract calls for a 10 percent reduction in armed homicides and robberies. When it comes to homicides, the change would be incremental -- there were only seven homicides in 2007, statistics show. There were about 200 robberies and 1,038 burglaries.
In Miami Gardens, just south of Miramar, there were 24 homicides in 2007, nearly 700 robberies and about 1,700 burglaries.
There were no homicides in Pembroke Pines last year, but police statistics show 450 robberies and 1,140 burglaries.
''I think it's a nationwide trend, but it's a trend that I don't want to let get out of hand,'' Moseley said.
``It's unfortunate that the robberies didn't surprise me as they should. You read about all the bank robberies, the violence and the killings going on all around the nation. It's scary times.''
Miramar officials want to bolster police force
Because of an increase in crime -- especially armed robberies -- Miramar hopes to add more police officers to patrol the streets and more money for police overtime.
Posted on Sun, May. 18, 2008Digg del.icio.us AIM reprint print email
BY ROBERT SAMUELS
rsamuels@MiamiHerald.com
One thing seems to be on the mind of every elected official in Miramar these days: crime, and how to stop it.
The concern comes on the heels of a two-month spate of armed robberies in relatively tranquil parts of the city, as well as consistent complaints about vandalism in many residential neighborhoods.
Declaring that crime is ''head and shoulders'' above any other issue facing Miramar, commissioners recently pressed City Manager Bob Payton to find more money for the police department.
Commissioner Troy Samuels made an impromptu resolution to add six officers to the police force and find $500,000 in overtime pay. His fellow commissioners backed him up, then said it wasn't enough.
Mayor Lori Moseley also called for adding a second safe-street unit to the police department for more patrol officers.
Miramar appears to stand alone in its battle against crime. Other nearby cities that share similar traits with Miramar, such as Pembroke Pines and Weston, say they have not experienced a similar crime wave.
So why Miramar? Several reasons, officials said.
The Southwest Broward city is the closest to Miami-Dade municipalities such as Miami Gardens, whose mayor, Shirley Gibson, has warned that crime is moving north and that Miramar would logically be hit next.
The city's location also boasts several good highways to get into Miami-Dade, such as Interstate 75, Florida's Turnpike and Interstate 95.
And then there's the economy.
''As the economic times get more difficult as they are in this nation, I think we're going to see more of this [criminal activity] and whatever we can do to help more enforcement is important,'' Moseley said.
For Moseley, the economy -- this thing that is propelling people to commit crimes -- could also be the single biggest reason why the city's response could be limited.
Times are hard and money is scarce, with municipalities particularly hard hit. If this crime trend continues, Moseley said the city might need to slightly raise property tax rates to make up the difference.
City Commissioner Carl Lanke agreed. ''People are willing to take a cents increase, I think,'' he said.
Ron Simon-Menendez, a homeowner on the city's east side, said a group of young people were bullying others and setting off stink bombs in his neighborhood.
''I've never seen anything like this in Miramar,'' Simon-Menendez said.
Similar stories of bad or criminal behavior have popped up throughout the city.
Starting in February, there have been at least 14 robberies around the city, including the subdivisions of Monarch Lakes and the gated Villages of Renaissance.
Police spokesman Bill Robertson said none of the cases have been solved, nor is there any indication that the robberies were connected.
Still, organized crime is no stranger to the city. In January, Miramar police teamed up with federal agents to charge 13 gang members who were affiliating themselves with the infamous Bloods gang.
Police applied for and received a $25,000 grant from the federal Department of Justice to root out gang activity. The money will supply overtime pay -- which directly translates to putting more officers on the street, Robertson said.
The grant contract calls for a 10 percent reduction in armed homicides and robberies. When it comes to homicides, the change would be incremental -- there were only seven homicides in 2007, statistics show. There were about 200 robberies and 1,038 burglaries.
In Miami Gardens, just south of Miramar, there were 24 homicides in 2007, nearly 700 robberies and about 1,700 burglaries.
There were no homicides in Pembroke Pines last year, but police statistics show 450 robberies and 1,140 burglaries.
''I think it's a nationwide trend, but it's a trend that I don't want to let get out of hand,'' Moseley said.
``It's unfortunate that the robberies didn't surprise me as they should. You read about all the bank robberies, the violence and the killings going on all around the nation. It's scary times.''