Operation Summer Heat

On June 3, 2021, Chief Clements along with police chiefs from across Miami Dade County and personnel from Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), as well as State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle and Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, gathered to announce the creation of Operation Summer Heat. The purpose of this law enforcement operation is to increase manpower and intelligence gathering/sharing with a specific focus in curbing increased gun violence around the County where more than thirty (30) people have been shot and several killed over the last few weeks.

The Miami Beach Police Department (MBPD) serves as a key stakeholder in this operation. We recognize that many individuals travel to Miami Beach and specifically to the Art Deco Cultural District (ADCD) to partake in what is perceived to be a “party atmosphere”. Apprehensions and arrests made over the past six (6) months indicate that most of these individuals reside outside of Miami Beach, specifically in other parts of the County and outside of Florida. Since November 30, 2020 when the department organized a proactive street crimes unit (re-named Strategic Enforcement Team – SET) the Department as a whole has been very proactive in tackling quality of life crimes, narcotics violations, while also focusing on the removal and seizure of illegal firearms from our streets. Since the aforementioned date, the Department as a whole has made 3,505 arrests citywide while seizing 380 firearms of all sorts.

After the last crime update at the Neighborhoods Quality of Life Committee (NQLC) meeting in April, the SET continues to make some significant impacts in the ADCD and other areas of the city. The day to day contact with the criminal element has yielded the following statistics:

• Case Reports written - 262
• Felony Arrests - 174
• Misdemeanor Arrests - 140
• Citations - 176
• Firearms seized - 44
• Wanted subjects on Miami Beach - 12

Approximately 70% of all arrests made in the ADCD are related to the use and/or sale of narcotics. Police officers are seizing Ecstasy, Cocaine, Marijuana, MDMA, and Oxycodone. Some of these arrests occur while the subjects are armed with firearms. In several of these encounters, the police have discovered, and arrested subjects wanted for crimes within and outside the jurisdictional boundaries of Miami Beach. Additionally, SET received complaints over the last two weeks that quality of life crimes are now being observed in the 1600 block of Collins Avenue. The SET concentrated their efforts and will continue to do so in this area and has since made 11 arrests.

Over the summer, the Department will continue to apply pressure to individuals who engage in criminal behavior in the ADCD and around the City. Beginning on June 7 of this year and over the next twelve weeks (12) ending on August 29, the Department’s SET will focus on arresting violent offenders, deterring violent criminal behavior and the continuing mission of the removal of firearms from the streets of Miami Beach as part of Operation Summer Heat. The intelligence gathered from arrests, field interviews, and firearm seizures will be tracked and shared with our federal partners and local Miami Dade County police agencies to build investigative leads that will assist in curbing the rash of shootings and bring those responsible to justice.

It is important to note that the Department is also preparing to provide additional support in the form of uniformed officers to the Collins Avenue corridor throughout the weekends over the summer months. The Department is continuing to strengthen its partnership with the Miami Dade Schools Police Department (MDSPD) to provide and maintain an increased visible police presence and visibility in the ADCD and in turn sustain the drop in crime. This strategic partnership has, in the past, proven to be fruitful as it allows the MBPD to reassign police officers to other parts of the ADCD in the furtherance of the enforcement aspects of the overall crime prevention effort. The plan is to have MDSPD work every Friday and Saturday evening, beginning on Friday, June 25 and lasting until August 21, 2021, from 7:00 pm until 3:00 am.

The inclusion of the MDSPD into the crime prevention effort will be accomplished in an off-duty capacity. The estimated costs associated with this detail will involve the remuneration of 25 officers per day, two days a week (as described in the previous paragraph), for eight-hour shifts. The total projected fiscal impact over the eight-week period is $180,000.00.

Major Crime Comparison - 2:00 a.m. Alcohol Curfew

The MBPD has recently carried out more extensive criminal analysis throughout the City, especially as a result of the policy and ordinance changes. The Department analyzed major crimes (aggravated assault, sexual assault, and robbery) citywide and in the ADCD comparing 2019 to 2021 as well as over a four-week time period both prior to and after the change in the alcohol curfew time of 2:00 am (4/15-5/12/2021 vs. 5/13-6/9/2021).

The analysis has shown a consistent reduction in overall major crime during the time periods analyzed. Comparing 2019 to 2021, a 9% decrease in major crime citywide and 17% decrease in the ADCD has been reported. In parallel, while a 7% increase in overall crime was reported citywide, the comparison from four weeks prior to the recent policy changes to the two weeks (two or four) after its implementation also reveal an important 11% decrease in sexual batteries and aggravated assaults citywide, and a noteworthy reduction of 43.48% for robbery and aggravated assault within the ADCD.

The documents included in this item provide a more detailed look at this breakdown by crime.

Memorial Day Weekend – Shooting Investigation – Update

On Memorial Day, May 31, 2021, the Police Department investigated a shooting that occurred in the 100 block of Ocean Drive. The investigation revealed that an altercation between two groups of male individuals occurred in the street. Two individuals being directly responsible for the shooting of the victims. Both subjects were apprehended and charged accordingly. The victims are recovering.

63rd Street / Beach – Shooting Investigation – Update

The Police Department investigated a shooting that occurred on June 9 in which a subject shot a male in the mouth without provocation. Within 24 hours of the incident, the subject was in custody after being identified by one of our firefighters from a police flyer and charged accordingly.

Fiscal Impact

The ongoing proactive enforcement efforts in the ADCD and other hot spots occur during the normal work shift of the police officers assigned to this area. The costs to include the Miami Dade Schools Police Department is $180,000.00 as mentioned previously.