Miami-Dade County Commissioner Audrey Edmonson called for a “State of Emergency” meeting last week about a spike in recent shootings in her District 3 — at least 18 people shot in 21 drive-bys, including a 14-year-old boy who was killed — and what can be done to stop the violence. About 200 people attended, including some of the family members of the shooting victims.
Now, Commission Chairman Jean Monestime has called for a “community rally” this afternoon with leaders and youth organizers to “take a stand against violence and the senseless killings in our community.”
Hello? McFly?
Here’s a concept: If you cut gang units from the police department, then you might just get a spike in drive by shootings. Duh!
What these elected county leaders ought to do is make our police department whole and fund public safety properly. You cannot fight crime with emergency meetings and feel-good rallies as you continue to cut officers and units. 
You fight crime with vigilance and surveillance and follow-up and police presence.
It doesn’t take a genius to conclude that these things would not be happening — or happening as often — if the our esteemed Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos “Cry Wolf” Gimenez, who has money for his millionaire buddies, would not have slashed and burned the police department, cutting specialized units like gang officers to save dollars he could later give to millions to friendly developers who throw him fundraisers to keep him in office. It’s a vicious cycle.
County people like to point out that this is in the city of Miami. But what they fail to mention is that county cops work all over the county, cross jurisdictional with city departments. Cutting the county gang unit has “without a doubt” put a strain on the Miami department, said Dade PBA President John Rivera.
“All of our robbery intervention and most of our gang officers worked in the city of Miami,” Rivera said. “Because the criminals don’t care about jurisdiction.”
Ladra can’t help but wonder how the rest of the department’s internal re-organization at the hands of Mayor
Gimenez (read: his hand-picked cronies) has affected crime. I have an inkling that there is an increase in robberies since the dismantling of the Robbery Intervention Detail that roamed around trying to stop armed robberies and home invasions before they happen. And I bet identify theft has gone up since the thieves know that there’s nobody minding the store. Cargo theft? I believe it’s quite possible that we don’t even know how much it’s increased since nixing that unit.
Public records requests will be made.
And why are we talking about a $1 million investment in body cameras for officers and the software and storage program to run them when the radio communications issue that puts officers lives — and us the public — at risk is still not 100 percent repaired, according to sources? 
And while we have patrol cars on the street that are in deplorable conditions?
“We have dozens of cars like this one,” Rivera told me, sending a picture of this patrol car at the scene of one of the Miami shootings. “It’s not only a bad image for your department, but it’s unsafe. If the cars are not kept up, how do we know the brakes won’t fail.”
Maybe someone ought to go to Monestime’s little pep rally tonight and tell him the real secret to curbing crime in his community: Support your cops.
Wear a bullet proof vest, though. The rally at Arcola Park, 1680 NW 87th St., is smack dab in the middle of the shooting range. It’s the same park where nine people playing basketball were wounded during a brazen drive-by shooting last month.
And I don’t know how many police officers are going to be there.
Commissioners fight crime with meetings, rallies — not cops added by Ladra on
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Ladra,
This was a preplanned ploy in anticipation of the MLK parade on Jan. 19, 2015 to make sure the county provides the FREE security the promotor gets every year. Each and every year, since God knows when, MDPD has been providing FREE security for the MLK day parade and related events. Unlike the Dade County youth fair, Lipton Tennis, and other events where the organizers are required to pay for police services, the MLK parade organizer, Rev. Thug Preston Marshall is not. This is not a non-profit organization but a BUSINESS. Start payin up losers!!!!!!
Preston Marshall has been doing that for more than 30 years an he ain’t paid no one for police service. Ever.
The MDPD send officers every year on duty and OT to work it and Mr. Marshall pays nothing. The promotors of the Columbian festival, Nicaragua festival, Cuba Nostalgic, and Calle Ocho all gots to pay. Why not Marshall?
Now all of a sudden Commissioner Edmonson is concerned about her district? Give us a break. Fork over some of that stash money you get for your district. You know the one you use to buy votes by buying turkeys at Christmas and Thanksgiving and use it to pay overtime to the MDPD officers FORCED to work the detail. Yes FORCED! And many are also FORCED to adjust their shifts and hours to go on duty in order to avoid the added overtime costs, which is against their contract.
Please look into Preston Marshall and you will see this is his yearly moneymaker. Who cares that he’s doing it in MLK’s name, just pay up like everyone else for police service. This is the same as Calle Ocho, Nicaragua Fest, Columbian Fest and others that the promotors are REQUIRED to pay for police service. Why not Marshall? How much is Edmonson’s cut?
What’s also sad is that the MDPD’s Progressive Officers Club is a major supporter of the event. In that case, why don’t they do like the Hispanic Officers Assn. does every year and have their members volunteer their services for the event? The HOA does it every year for FREE for La Liga Contra el Cancer which benefits everyone! If they’re so concerned with the success of the parade and are so involved they can work it all on their own as VOLUNTEERS!
This same topic was posted as a concern last year on leo affairs blog but the MDPD covered it up as usual. This time they want to make it look legit by getting the commission involved. Pay up Marshall, the gravy train is over!
if only the mainstream media, such as The Herald, would report it. they’re too busy giving Giminez back rubs.
Here’s something to think about…the City of Miami Commissioners awarded the MPD’s Tactical Roberry Unit , a unit the mirrored and work hand in hand with Miami Dade’s Robbery Intervention Unit a commendation for lowering the robbery rate to a all time low for the City of Miami. The officers in that unit recovered hundreds of guns from the streets and stopped countless shootings and other crimes from happening… The following year after Chief Orosa steps in he all but dismantles the unit by slashing it to half the officers who are on the street half of the time they were before……
Not only did Chief Orosa slash the Tactile Robbery unit but he completely abolished the Gangs Unit and the Crime Suppression Unit which targeted narcotics sales and distribution.
The dismantling of these units now mean there are no specialized units with officers specifically targeting Gang offenders, narcotic sales and the Tactical Robbery Unit is a shell of what it used to be.
No wonder the City of Miami is crime infested, there is no one out there going after these criminals..don’t think the regular street cops are doing g it…they’re too busy handling dispatched calls for service