South Miami crime rate may drop to lowest in decades

South Miami City Manager Steven Alexander says the city may see its lowest crime rate in more than a decades.

The main item

In his report at the city’s May 17 commission meeting, Alexander said that total major crimes for the first third of 2016 stand at 117. That pace would put the city at 537 crimes for the year. Crime in South Miami dropped from 995 reported incidents in 2013 to 725 in 2014. Last year, the city had 776 crimes.

“We have achieved some of the lowest rates since 1991,” Alexander said in his report. “These figures may change upward, but we think we are in for another year of crime reduction and prevention. We’ve got FDLE records of our total crime index for the period of 1995 to 2015, and in 2014 total crimes here were 725. In 2015, they were 776.

Alexander said those stats haven’t been approached but for two years: 826 crimes in 1996 and 816 in 2007. “We have dramatically lower crime over all previous years and it’s looking like this year could be an even better year than the previous two,” he said

Other business

Gas leak: Alexander reported about his investigation into a possible gas leak at the city’s police station. After DERM suggested the city hire an environmental company, Alexander hired EE&G to do testing. The company found that a vent pipe for the fuel station should be assessed for leaks. The city may now do an additional assessment to be done inside the police station for airflow and building pressurizations, and routes of entry, to see if gasses have come into the building.

Lawsuit appeal: The commission voted 4-1, with Commissioner Josh Liebman dissenting, to authorize City Attorney Thomas Pepe to hire outside counsel and to file an appeal with Florida’s Third District Court Of Appeal in South Miami’s case against former Police Chief Orlando Martinez de Castro.

They said it

“I’m voting no, to be very clear about the commission and our council,” Liebman said. “I’m going to vote no on all items related to this case. Those that contributed to this case need to own it. I’m going to vote no on the appeal and any items related to Orlando Martinez de Castro, as well as a payout. Again, those people who are directly responsible need to own it.”

The next meeting

When: 7 p.m. June 7

Where: City Hall, 6130 Sunset Dr., South Miami

This story was originally published May 19, 2016 at 6:03 PM with the headline "South Miami crime rate may drop to lowest in decades."