HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem #10b - Discussion ItemCITY OF MIAM!, FLORIDA
INTER -OFFICE lVId6RANCUM .a
i
TO Cesar Odio DAaanuary 7, 1993 ME
City Manager
GUBJECT
Problems at Parking Meters
FROtq.r L. Plummer, Jr.
Comm spioner
REFERENCES'
ENCLOSURES
Please plaoe as a di.soussion item on the Jzn•-:.ry. 14, 1993
Commission meeting agenda the severe problem that ourrently exist
at the Parking Meters in the Medium between S$ 1st Street and N8
8th Street on Bisoayne Blvd.
Thank you.
1
�I��-v SStCan�
January 6, 1993
Commissioner J.L. Plummer
3500 Pan American Drive
Miami, Florida 33133
ref: Parking Meters in the
Northeast 6th Street
Jr. oe
tq
Medium between Southeast
on Biscayne Blvd.
0EK C OK
e4
1st Street a
!� Dear Commissioner Plummer:
!� Presently at the above Mentioned location we are experiencing a great
\ deal of difficulty in maintaining a secure and safe place for
individuals to park their cars due to a group of people who are
loitering near our meters in each block. They are approaching almost
�}' every parker and demanding money for parking. The situation is suchthat the individual parking their vehicle is afraid not to pay these
people for fear of damage to his car or his person and the people that
are making the demands have become increasingly bold in the past few
months .
Historically this location of Biscayne Blvd. was experiencing this
type of problem after sunset and during the early evening hours. This
was noted by Miami Parking System during October of 1991 and we took
E steps to provide additional security since we recognized that the
problem was not only one of frightening packers away, but of actual
security to the individuals involved. We hired an off -duty police
` officer to patrol the area on Friday night, from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00
p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday, from noon until 10:00 p.m. at night.
We did this with a belief that we would be supporting the commercial
establishments in the area such as Bayside and Flagler Street as well
as encourage potential parkers that our area was safe. During this
E period of time we did not notice the problem occurring during daylight
{ hours during the week. However, shortly after the hurricane we begin
j to receive some complaints about people tampering with meters and
being abusive to people parking in the area. Upon personal
investigation in late October of 1992 we found a number of individuals
loitering near our meters. We requested that they leave, some of them
belligerently refused to do so. We then contacted the City of Miami
Police Department and with their assistance several arrests were made
during the month of October and November. One incident involved an
individual who actually pulled a knife on a police officer and had to
be subdued before being arrested. To demonstrate the difficulty that
we are having, recently one of our employees who was in that area with
an off -duty police officer was attacked by one of these individuals
and the police officer had to subdue the individual and call for
back -'up, this occurred on December 18th, 1992.
93m 21-1
Department of Off Street Parking • 190 N.E. Third Street • Miami, Florida 33132 • Tel: 305-373-6789 • Fax: 305-371-9451
Commissioner J.L. Plummer, Jr.
Page 2
Since this development occurred shortly after the hurricane and the
fact that we felt that it had an impact not only on the people parking
but in the commercial establishments facing Biscayne Blvd. or close to
Biscayne Blvd., we contacted the Downtown Miami. Business Association.
We explained that we thought it was certainly a problem that not only
affected us but one that also affected the commercial area. some
discussions with that organization have occurred and on December 28th,
1992 they developed a program for patrolling the area by Wackenhut
Security Guards from noon to 10:00 p.m., Monday thru Thursday. The
cost of this service is one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000).
We are in the process of setting up a meeting with the DMBA to further
discuss this and what steps can be taken. Unfortunately when you
called me on January 5th, 1993, I was unaware that we had also
scheduled meetings with the City of Miami Police Department to further
discuss this item. Since that time I have learned that the City of
Miami Police Department has made a commitment to place plain -clothes
officers in the area and to re-evaluate the problem and sit down with
us and develop a long-term solution. The City of Miami Police
Department has been very cooperative with our request and now with
this evaluation engaging the plain -clothes officers we should be able
to get a firm handle on how serious this problem is and develop
methods to solve it.
If you need any additional information please let me know.
Sincerely,
Clark Cook
Executive Director
Miami Parking System