Teens are climbing Miami Beach towers for social media clout. Cops want it stopped
Videos posted on social media in recent months show people sneaking into condo buildings and climbing to the apex of some of the tallest towers in Miami and Miami Beach.
Now, Miami Beach police say they’re hoping to put a stop to the dangerous, thrill-seeking trend known as urban exploration.
Among the videos on Instagram are clips showing a group of young men, seemingly teenagers, atop the 484-foot Portofino Tower in the South of Fifth neighborhood and the 559-foot Blue and Green Diamond condo towers in Mid Beach.
“Unfortunately, the kids engaging in this behavior are putting likes and views over public safety and their own safety,” Miami Beach police spokesperson Christopher Bess told the Miami Herald. “We want to let them know that it’s not worth it.”
The police department has been distributing flyers to condo buildings, urging them to secure their entrances to prevent the climbers from getting inside.
A video on social media shows the group barging into a stairwell. In one clip, they are confronted by a building manager and threatened with arrest before leaving.
The trend and the police response was first reported by WSVN.
Bess said the behavior could constitute trespassing or even burglary. Still, he said, the goal isn’t to “throw these kids in jail.”
“We don’t want to ruin anyone’s life for a trend, but we do want them to know that we are taking this seriously,” Bess said.
Messages to two of the accounts that post the urban exploration videos went unanswered Wednesday.
In addition to their Miami Beach exploits, the group has also posted videos after ascending high-rises in downtown Miami and Brickell.
Some of the videos date back to 2024. Bess said police were recently made aware of the trend after receiving a call from the Portofino, and are looking into burglary allegations there.
Miami Beach police haven’t made any arrests.
This story was originally published March 11, 2026 at 12:27 PM.
