Police discuss new action plan for Coconut Grove
Last night, 120 neighbors showed up for the crime meeting at Plymouth Church. Police Commander Richard Gentry was present, along with Mayor Tomas Regalado and District 2 Commissioner Marc Sarnoff. Gentry was well received, the mayor and commissioner, not so much. Both blamed others for the 95 man shortage in the 450 man roster of active street cops. They blamed HR and Unions, the crowd did not buy it.
Neighbors expressed their concern about the rise in crime in the past few months. The Commander said, "Please express to all of your neighbors that the Miami Police Department will ensure our due diligence at the highest caliber in our efforts to curtail crime and promote a safe community."
The Police Department's action plan consists of the following:
1. Police Enforcement
2. Education
3. Crime Prevention
4. Community Partnership/Involvement
5. Youth Intervention
Some of the strategies in place for their 60 day Operational Plan are as follows:
1. Police Officers assigned to patrol will enhance their visibility within all areas of concern.
2. Sgt Wing (Problem Solving Supervisor) will conduct surveillance.
3. Beat Units will enhance visibility within all areas of concern within Coconut Grove. This will include bike patrol and park & walk details. Radar enforcement will be conducted.
4. Motors Unit will conduct radar enforcement in designated locations.
5. Mounted Patrol will be present at Kennedy Park and Merrie Christmas Park. They'll also patrol in the neighborhoods. Currently they are assigned to Grove during weekends.
6. All Police Officers assigned to the Grove will enhance their efforts with passing out Watch Over Miami Cards. This is a great crime prevention measure that we support.
7. Continue working closely with Crime Stoppers.
8. Continue working closely with the State Attorney's Office.
9. Continue working closely with our citizens to enhance our Community Partnership.
10. Continue working closely with our Business Owners within Coconut Grove.
11. Continue working closely with our Criminal Investigation Division..
12. All Patrol Sergeants will be mandated to conduct proactive measures within the areas of concern determined by crime analysis.
"I will also personally monitor this operational plan on a daily and weekly basis to ensure our success," said Gentry.
If you or any of your neighbors have any concerns regarding the Miami Police Department, please refer them to one of the Neighborhood Resource Officers, Officer Leo Carrillo (305-389-7996) or Officer Matthew Vasquez (954-821-4755).
Photos by David McBurnett
posted by Tom Falco at 7:45 AM
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14 Comments:
2 cars broken into yesterday again at Kennedy Park during the day. Glass everywhere and people and no one notices. Also bags of dead animals used in sacrifice! Supposedly Police know but can't do anything about it. But, Let's build another Park that can't be properly maintained or patroled!
Hey Anon,
Good idea, let's not build an open green space but leave a giant building that is vacant most of the year. I don't think the criminals will notice, I mean it worked so well with the playhouse...
Calvin
This is a good start not great but something. All the things listed are ok except for the speeding traps. I do not think speeding traps have anything to do with the crime that we are having. It only brings in more money to the city. Wonder is Sarnoff had anything to say since we are his stepchild. Also did they give the crime rate numbers in the area as to what crimes. I was not able to make it I wish I did.
"Also bags of dead animals used in sacrifice!"
How is this the fault of there being a park that people (allegedly) leave dead animals there? Are we not supposed to build parks because someone might leave trash there?
This is a rather myopic point of view.
You are all missing the point that these crimes are happening in daylight on a busy street in a park with fulltime staff and lots of people. Their have been eye witnesses to all of the crimes but unless an officer witnesses the crimes they cannot do anything about them. It's heresay. So less Officers or no officers equals more crimes. The Grove does not need another Park! Maintain the parks we have and patrol them properly first!
Wait! Wait! I've seen this movie.
Tweed: Bill, I can't get a days work done for all the good citizens coming in here to harass me about crime in the Points. Some even go as far as to accuse Tammany of connivance in this so-called rampant criminality. What am I to do?
I can't have this. Something has to be done.
Bill the Butcher: What do you have in mind?
Tweed: I don't know. I think we should hang someone.
Bill: Who?
Tweed: No one important, necessarily. Average men will do. Back-alley amusers with no affiliations.
Bill: How many?
Tweed: three or four.
Bill: Which?
Tweed: Four.
(next scene: four relatively blameless people that live in the area get hanged while Tweed and Bill keep to business as usual)
I like Gangs of NY too, but I don't really think the reference is helpful.
Ya know what else isn't helpful - setting up speed traps when the complained of problem is theft, robbery, vandalism, battery, and B&E. How is that a solution? They should decrease the traps, and actually drive, walk, ride around the neighborhoods in greater numbers/frequency.
Good intentions - poor plan.
I agree completely and that's why I made the GoNY reference. The politicians huff and puff and try to look like they're doing something when actually they're just going to fill the City's coffers with $ from speeding tickets while giving the Grove a rep for being "hot" and driving down the business at the bars.
Meanwhile nothing gets done about the actual criminal activity.
Foot patrols.
Bike patrols.
Familiarity with the community.
/what's with all the "enhancing"?
Someone at the department's been watching too much CSI:Miami.
I live on Poinciana Ave. in the South Grove and I have to say that I have never seen so many police cars patroling the neighborhood as I have in the past week. They're everywhere! Let's just hope it stays that way and it's not just for a week or two.
Is the crime spilling over from West Grove?
A while back, someone in the Mayfair office building was approached by a man wielding a knife. This was early in the morning. Luckily he did not attack her, but he got away.
(facepalm)
"Is crime spilling over from West Grove"?
Because on the other side of 32nd Ave is a wretched hive of scum and villainy, right?
There is enough racial stupidity and ignorance in Miami already. Let's try not to create more.
Comment was not racist in nature. Look up a crime map, you'll see there's a higher incidence of crime in West Grove.
They should look to London. I know it's a bit big brotherish, but put up closed circuit cameras, with a dispatch viewing them at all times. Crime happens, you can radio someone in the area to sort it out, before it gets out of hand.
We in America have a phobia of "the man", so it probably wont happen. But it works, and in the long run cuts down on the needs for tons of cops everywhere.
As one of the two white people living on my street in the West grove, my Bahamian neighbors are an absolute delight. And they aren't the problem here. It's sometimes easy to generalize everyone into a group, but I encourage distinctions to be made. Since I moved here last year, I've seen a drastic change for the better in the west grove. While at the meeting someone suggested not to focus on narcotics because it didn't apply to them, (seems a little selfish) it does apply to the rest of us living in West Grove and as Commander Gentry mention it is at the root of the problem where the drug addicts and sellers are rampant and are the ones who perpetuate crime in the nicer areas of the Grove. Nevertheless we all want the Grove to improve and as my house got shot at last year in a drug transaction of sorts, the dealers across the street are now evicted and gone the area is slowly being cleaned up. And I'm thankful to the law enforcement in the area. I thought the meeting was great despite the slight negative, disrespectful attacks that took place. It's important to remember that while pressure needs to be maintained, insults will not be effective in reaching our objective of a safer Grove. Love living here and loved being part of a community that supports each other. Good job everyone! And thank you to the organizers :)
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