No husband ever wants to get a call from his wife saying, “Honey. There’s a strange man outside our home having a picnic in our front yard.”

Miami Springs Police responding to a vagrant in the residential bird section.

Here’s what happened.  I’m at a student competition that my oldest son is participating in South Miami-Dade.  Meanwhile, my wife’s coming home from running some Saturday morning errands.  As she pulls into the driveway, she notices a male subject who had made himself comfortable eating lunch in our front yard.

Her first thought, “This might be a worker doing a job at one of our neighbors’ home.”  Fortunately, a couple of our neighbors were outside and she asked them if they knew what the man was up to.  They both said no.

My wife didn’t hesitate and called the Miami Springs Police Department at 305.888.9711.  She explained to the dispatcher what was going on.  Immediately the dispatcher responded and alerted officers of the situation.

Within about 60 seconds from the time dispatch had alerted officers, the first Miami Springs Police Officer arrived.  Within another minute or two, the second officer arrived.

Soon, there were three officers that had arrived at our home in the bird section.  Fortunately, the situation was resolved peacefully.  According to the police, the male subject appeared to be a vagrant who thought he was in the City of Miami.  The police informed him he was several miles away, but offered the man transportation closer to his destination.

Fortunately, this situation was resolved peacefully and promptly.  Nevertheless, no one wants to come home or open the door to find a stranger having a picnic in your front yard.  And this isn’t the first incident.  We have heard of cases near some of the hotels on NW 36th Street where strangers have laid out in the front yard of a residence to sunbathe.  Our front yards are not public parks.

In this case, my wife was alone and there’s a strange man in the front yard.  She had no clue what he was up to.  All she knew was that he didn’t belong there. Folks, do the right thing and call the Miami Springs Police.  They are here to help you.

We want to thank the Miami Springs Police Department and the individual officers who responded for their professionalism and incredibly prompt response.  You can’t beat a 60 second response time.  Plus, our Miami Springs Police Department has a longstanding tradition of hiring quality people that are friendly, courteous, and professional.

As for the vagrant situation, unfortunately, the officers informed my wife that they were seeing an increase in these type of calls.  Furthermore, you can’t tell the difference between a vagrant that wouldn’t hurt anyone versus a vagrant on drugs looking to take advantage of an opportunity.

Folks, if you see anything strange in the neighborhood, don’t hesitate to contact the Miami Springs Police Department at 305.888.9711.  The police are more than happy to address your concern.  But they can’t help you unless you call and let them know about it.  As a community, it’s our responsibility to keep Miami Springs safe.

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