MIAMI (WSVN) - The Miami-Dade Police Department said they are cracking down on crime after an alarming rise in gun violence.
The department said they plan to work with the community to stop the violence that has recently been plaguing Miami-Dade communities.
“One of my daughters was sitting right here,” said Henry Villagran after his home was struck by bullets on Dec. 9.
“It’s too much violence going on,” one woman said. “We need to find out what happened and why it continues to happen. Nothing’s being done about it.”
Gun violence has plagued many South Florida neighborhoods, and families are overwhelmingly grief-stricken, tired and angry.
Miami-Dade Police are saying enough is enough.
“It’s all hands on deck,” Miami-Dade Police Director Alfredo Ramirez said.
Part of the reason for the recent violence, murders and overall hostility, police said, is related to social media and the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We would think it’s related to robberies, but we’ve seen a decrease in robbery crimes,” said Miami-Dade Police Maj. Shawn Brown, “so from my standpoint, it’s a lot of disagreements people are having, and they’re targeting each other.”
The police department sent video footage to 7News of the resources they are using to try to keep communities safe, such as Crime Stoppers, See Something Say Something and keeping tabs on neighborhoods through security cameras across the county with their real-time crime center.
Officers have seized 28 guns and made 27 arrests through the Gun Bounty Program in 2020.
Despite the numerous resources, police said more needs to be done, and it starts in the community.
“We ask for the community to help us,” said Ramirez. “They’ve always been a great partner for us, and this is a time when we definitely need to work together to keep our youth from getting killed.”
One of the resources police continue to encourage communities to use is Crime Stoppers, where people can leave anonymous tips and could receive monetary rewards. You can call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.
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