Commissioner Meiner placed a referral to the Neighborhood and Quality of Life Committee (NQLC) on the January 20, 2021 City Commission Meeting agenda to explore legislative and administrative methods to proactively deter shoplifting, petit theft, and smash-and-grab crimes from occurring within Miami Beach.

The Miami Beach Police Department (MBPD) is aware of current reports that shoplifting and related “smash-and-grab" crime has seen an increase nationwide. Within the City of Miami Beach, however, shoplifting numbers have shown a general decrease year-over-year since 2020. Notwithstanding, efforts to curtail shoplifting and misdemeanor crime within the city are high priorities for the Department with activities such as crime prevention surveys intended to examine potential ways to improve store safety and prevent theft tailored to each store. The Department also strongly encourages store management and staff to report every instance of theft identify and will continue to mitigate these criminal activities swiftly and appropriately.

In August 2021, the Department noticed an uptick in theft reports taking place within the South Beach area at pharmacy stores. Neighborhood Resource Officers (NROs) were deployed to the locations to offer any assistance to the stores and managers. One such example stems from a shoplifting incident that occurred in December of 2021 at the Walgreens located at 524 Jefferson Avenue. A citizen witnessed the event and subsequently posted information on the incident on Facebook. The matter was immediately investigated with the assistance of NRO Deborah Martineau.

Officer Martineau met with the manager who advised that due to COVID-19, the store had reduced staffing with only one clerk and one stock person working on a typical night. It is important to note that incidents that have taken place at this location have taken place mainly at night, and the staff often prefers not to engage the subject or call the police to assist.