Commissioner Richardson placed a referral to the Public Safety and Neighborhood Quality of Life Committee (PSNQLC) on the April 6, 2022 City Commission Meeting agenda to discuss an update for methods for parental communication in times of emergencies.

The item stemmed from an LTC with the below Committee for Quality Education motion, passed unanimously at their December 7, 2021 committee meeting:

Motion
Made by Beverly Heller
Second by Judith Berson-Levinson

The Committee for Quality Education requests the Mayor and City Commission work with Miami-Dade County Public Schools and the City of Miami Beach Police Department to find a method that can get correct and timely information to City of Miami Beach residents in times of real-time emergencies and come back to the Committee for Quality Education within two months with a plan.

The Committee for Quality Education urges the Mayor and Commission to support the above request.

Motion Passage: Votes 10-0

In 2019, the Florida Legislature enacted into law Chapter 1006.12 - Safe-school officers at each public school. Under this new law, Miami-Dade Schools Police Department (MDSPD), which serves as the law enforcement agency with primary jurisdiction at all Miami-Dade County public schools, assigned one police officer to each of the public schools within Miami Beach to arrive at compliance. As such, the Miami Beach Police Department (MBPD) works day-to-day with MDSPD to assist and mitigate any concerns or incidents that may arise on school grounds.

Currently, MBPD has three full time police officers that serve as School Liaison Officers (SLO) in addition to the seven that are assigned by MDSPD. As expected, clear lines of communication are key along with compliance under the law as to jurisdictional boundaries and hierarchy of law enforcement. As a result, while MDSPD is designated as the lead agency in all incidents, a Memorandum of Understanding has been created to further establish the handling of routine and emergency incidents as follows:

• Minor and serious investigations – Miami-Dade Schools Police Department
• Emergency response to major incidents – Miami Beach Police Department until such time that command can be transferred to Miami-Dade Schools Police Department
  
  

MBPD recognizes that Miami Beach residents and families of students enrolled in the Miami Beach school feeder pattern have an inherent need to receive information in a timely matter in order to make informed decisions. MBPD, however, cannot supersede the lead agency in the release of information relevant to active investigations. The school principal and school officials can, however, release information to parents of the affected schools through recorded phone calls and text alerts, and in cases of an emergency where MBPD is the first agency on scene and in the interest of public safety, MBPD can and will continue to utilize social media and the City's MBAlert program to disseminate information. The alerts sent focus on traffic-related matters, any established safety perimeters, and any subjects of concern that could pose a threat to the community.