License Plate Readers Quite Effective During Memorial Day Enforcement In Miami Beach
MIAMI BEACH (CBSMiami) -- It was a successful weekend in Miami Beach over the long and crowded Memorial Day Weekend, thanks to the combination of beefed up police presence and the family-friendly Air and Sea Show crowd.
Miami Beach Police spokesman Ernesto Rodriguez said officers arrested 102 people as of 7 a.m. Monday, which is slightly less than last year. Many of the arrests were for narcotics and disorderly conduct, and there were no shooting incidents.
More than 400 police officers worked 13-hour shifts in order to keep the peace and police used license plate readers on vehicles driving to the beach. Results of those license plate readers, used from May 24 through May 27, were released Tuesday and show:
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- Tags Read: 36,793
- Criminal Tickets: 303
- Tickets: 533
- Felony Arrests: 13
- Misdemeanor Arrests: 11
- Stolen Vehicles: 2
- Firearms Impounded: 5
Miami Beach police say additional License Plate Readers are coming to Miami Beach, thanks to the resident-supported MB G.O. Bond Program.
Police also kicked out dozens of people on dirt bikes Sunday who were creating havoc on the roads. One, a felon with a gun, was arrested.
The weekend was also the first test of new restrictions passed after the chaotic Spring Break. They include rules to keep promoters from holding events at South Beach bars and clubs during peak tourism periods — which city officials hope will prevent unauthorized events from attracting large crowds — and increased penalties for bars and clubs that allow people under the age of 21 to enter.
