A Miami Springs resident woke up this morning to enjoy her weekend with her husband and elementary aged son.  She’s blessed to enjoy the morning view of the beautiful Miami Springs Golf Course from her Deer Run home.  Except this morning, she had Miami Springs Police Officer on her driveway.

Why were the Police on her driveway?  Well, that’s where they were seemingly arresting a man and putting him in the back of one of the patrol vehicles.

Isn’t that lovely?  Wake up to watch a man getting arrested on your own driveway.  You know, where your husband washes his car, and your small child rides his bike.

We are grateful that Miami Springs Police were there and taking action.  They were doing their job and arresting the subject.  (We don’t yet know what led to the arrest and transport.)  But folks, as much as Miami Springs was in the headlines this week for the 17 people arrested in a prostitution sting, or the suspect who was killed by Miami-Dade Police this week after allegedly going for his AK-47 during the execution of a warrant by SRT, or the alleged Miami Beach shooter was caught at the same Fairway Drive hotel, we usually think of these crimes as “a 36 Street Problem.”  it’s a LeJeune Road Problem.  It’s a Hotel Problem.

Well, it becomes a whole lot more when cops are arresting someone in your own driveway.  Folks, if this week’s horrific culmination of crime hasn’t created concern that action is needed right now.  Let me tell you, nothing will until it happens to you.

Miami Springs Police Chief Armando Guzman
Miami Springs Police Chief Armando Guzman

So what can we do.  Well, number one, we need to give a great big thanks to Chief Guzman and the work that he’s doing while having his hands tied with very limited resources.  I’ve said this now several times.  We have big city crime in Miami Springs that is being defended by a small town’s Police Force.  We need to give the Miami Springs Police Department more funding and support to crack down on the crime.

That means we need a bed tax now.  Not in the next legislative session.  Now!

What’s happening in Miami Springs is ridiculous.  We need the following:

  • Legal authority for the City of Miami Springs to apply a Bed Tax for Hotels in our City
  • The Bed Tax Needs to be Used for Police Enforcement and Public Safety

Furthermore, we need the public to call out the fact that the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau has fought Miami Springs on this.  We have no problem with the Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau promoting Miami Travel.  However, when it comes at the expense of an escalation in crime, and the negative publicity Miami Springs is getting for all these crimes, frankly, the Convention and Visitors Bureau is getting all the benefits without having to pay for the consequences.

We need to clean up the Miami Springs Hotel District.  In this criminal crisis, we need to ask ourselves, what do we want a vibrant 36th Street to look like.

Let’s be honest, it’s not vibrant or inviting.  To make it more inviting, think about the tourist destinations we all enjoy going to.  Most will probably say Orlando.  They have big sidewalks and lots of trees.  We can have a vibrant tourist district that invites families to enjoy the beauty South Florida has to offer.

But that’s long term.  Short term, we need to stop the criminal element that likes to call Miami Springs a temporary home.

Make it more expensive (via a Bed Tax).  Add more Police Enforcement and sting operations.  And let’s have the criminal element choose somewhere else to stay.  Folks, it’s a numbers game.  The more criminal behavior that we have along 36 Street, the more these people infiltrate our roads, our sidewalks, our driveways, our backyards, and even our homes.

Enough is Enough.  Action is needed now.

Please share your frustration with our City Council:

Contact Your City Council Member

Mayor Maria Puente Mitchell

Tel: (305) 805-5006

Email: mitchellm@miamisprings-fl.gov

Councilman Bob (Robert A.) Best, Group I

Tel: (305) 805-5006

Email: bestb@miamisprings-fl.gov

Councilwoman Jacky Bravo, Group II

Tel: (305) 805-5006

Email: bravoj@miamisprings-fl.gov

Councilman Walter Fajet, Group III

Tel: (305) 805-5006

Email: fajetw@miamisprings-fl.gov

Councilman Victor Vazquez, Group IV

Tel: (305) 805-5006

Email: vazquezv@miamisprings-fl.gov

Contact Florida State Senator Bryan Avila

 

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FLORIDA STATE REPRESENTATIVE ALEX RIZO

 

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Alex Rizo (@alexrizo110) • Instagram photos and videos

FLORIDA GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS

 

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Governor Ron DeSantis (@flgovrondesantis) • Instagram photos and videos

Code Enforcement

What does Code Enforcement have to do with crime?

Well, Code Enforcement ensures places are safe and following Miami Springs Codes.  Strong enforcement keeps owners on their toes.

Just as an example, I was in Coral Gables at a business yesterday.  They gave the landlord a code enforcement violation for a dirty sidewalk.  Here’s what the “dirty sidewalk” looked like:

"Dirty Sidewalk" Violation in Coral Gables
“Dirty Sidewalk” Violation in Coral Gables

Wow.  I was shocked when the Code Enforcement guy (a nice young guy) informed me that this violated the Coral Gables standards for dirty sidewalk.

Maybe we need to step up our standards and force the hotels to do a better job of cleaning their sidewalks.  Lord knows, they don’t look as good as what I’m showing above.

Bottom line, we can’t accept the status quo and we need to elevate the standards for NW 36th Street before the criminals lower our standard of living for residents.

Your Feedback

In addition to a bed tax and more police, what steps do you think the City of Miami Springs can take now to reduce crime and get rid of the criminal element along the NW 36th Street corridor?  What do you think?  More code enforcement?  Stronger laws?  Bed tax? More Police?  A moratorium on new hotels?  Eliminating hourly rentals?  City acquisition of old buildings, knocking them down, and selling them?  We want your thoughts and opinions?  Share your comments below in the comments section or share your feedback via social media.

it’s time to take back NW 36th Street.

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