Memorial Day Weekend 2011

FYI The Chief is putting cameras throughout SOBE durring MDW. So be careful guys.

FYI The Chief is putting cameras throughout SOBE durring MDW. So be careful guys.

how come our Union leadership is not all over this or at every roll call telling us?

I guess since him and Alex will be spending the weekend in Key West he needs to lead via cyber space.

Tonight at the City Wide 3-15 Sergeant Corps was told in the middle of securing a very volatile scene that he needed to remove is black vest with the words P O L I C E on the outside due to it being too "Commanderish" . It came from the SlimeMan. Now to Brians defense he has never been a very tactical PO, or a PO for that matter. So its understandable why he make such piss poor "command" decisions.

How many arrest have we made so far ?

good job Beach, hope your officers recovering ok...hang in there its almost over, hopefully your city will turn "Conservative" after this and cancel Urban week forever

Gay activist Herb Sosa: South Beach a 'war zone;' demands end to Urban Weekend (with video)

Police, gunmen open fire on South Beach; two officers injured

An open letter from activist Herb Sosa, who is president of Unity Coalition, Miami-Dade County's largest Hispanic gay-rights group:

Esteemed Miami Beach Mayor, Commissioners & concerned citizens.

Please view the attached YouTube video (one of many) already posted for the world to see, about Memorial/Urban Weekend 2011 in Miami Beach. http://youtu.be/cjxxGBJmOqQ

It shows our city as nothing short of a warzone - Filthy streets, a drive by shooting, multiple cars crashed in the process, and total chaos on the streets. This is unacceptable and must be controlled before we totally lose our city, tourism & residents. It is not limited to Ocean Drive or Collins - there isn't a residential street in South Beach not affected by tons of garbage, crime to our vehicles, excessive noise 24 hours a day, and simply a lack of respect for our community, citizens & property. THIS is the image the world see of our "American Riviera".

When did perceived political or social correctness override the safety & well-being of a community? This is not a race, economic or ethnic issue, it is an issue of visitors who have a total lack of respect for our community, its property & citizens. I know hotel rooms are filled, but at what price and for how long? How many events, meetings, conventions & vacations have been CANCEELLED because of this nightmare we endure each Memorial Day? Almost everyone who lives her that I know, get out of Miami Beach for Memorial Day - including many of you - because of this unruly & dangerous mob that we seem to invite back every year and turn a blind eye to the irreparable damage they leave behind.

If this was PRIDE weekend, The Boat Show, Fashion Week or Art Deco Weekend - would we allow this to go on each year? I am certain that if the real numbers of cost & crime are compared with like events we host throughout the year - Memorial/Urban Weekend is tenfold the headache, cost & damage of any of them. IS IT ALL WORTH IT FOR OUR CITY MANAGEMENT?

I am not willing to wait another year to see how many more people will be killed; how many more hotel rooms will be trashed; how many more cars & homes will be broken into; how many more residents need to leave in fear of hide in their homes for their safety; how much more police, fire rescue, sanitation & additional security dollars need to be spent to try & keep our city safe & livable for all each Memorial Weekend? - a Hell of a way for Miami Beach to honor our soldiers. Every resident & voter I speak to mentions Memorial/Urban Weekend as one of the top major problems our city has, when considering elections & our leaders - PLEASE TAKE NOTE, make the difficult but correct decision to put an end to Urban Weekend in Miami Beach and help us SAVE OUR CITY. We are not Disney or Universal. We cannot close a gate at night & go home. We ARE home, and inviting & accommodating the world to come and share our paradise - not destroy it and hold us hostage in the process. Unruly and unlawful visitors are NOT WELCOME in Miami Beach.

Respectfully,

Herb Sosa

Miami Beach, Florida

Very well put Mr. Sosa. It is just too bad that money will always override common sense.

I think we all realized how we need more officers on the payroll here on the Beach. Most of us think twice before we 39 somebody because of the response time for more 15`s and the potential for a mob scene. For the first time ever I felt helpless at times this weekend.

Would have been nice to see the Chief using this opportunity to tell it how it is and hold City Hall and the Ocean Drive Associations feet to the fire. The Citizens would have loved to see their voice heard for once. And if it came from the PD would have been an awesome opportunity. Public Safety should always trump associations and there twisted agendas.