COVID-19 hits two of Miami-Dade’s largest police departments as enforcement ramps up
The rapid recent rise in coronavirus infections in South Florida has begun to put a dent in some South Florida police departments.
In the past few weeks more than 10 percent of the sworn officers in Miami and Miami Beach have been sidelined after either testing positive for the quickly spreading virus, or because they are awaiting a test result after being in close proximity to someone who contracted the disease.
As of Thursday in Miami, that meant 140 of its more than 1,300 police officers were at home recuperating or nervously waiting to find out if they’d been infected. For Miami Beach, 41 of its 400-person force are at home.
The uptick in infections for those departments isn’t particularly surprising. They patrol some of the most densely populated areas of the county and infectious disease experts say the virus thrives when people are in close contact with each other. But it comes at a particularly sensitive time as both cities have plans to increase patrols to enforce tougher orders with the virus raging through the region.
Dr. Allan Feingold, medical director of occupational and environmental medicine at South Miami Hospital, said by the very nature of their jobs, police officers are likely to have a high rate of COVID-19.
“It’s density and the nature of contact,” he said. “Police forces deal with a lot of people closely and one-on-one.”
Not all departments have been hit with the disease like Miami and Miami Beach. Miami-Dade police, by comparison, by far the largest sworn agency in the county with well over 3,000 officers, has 210 officers out either with the virus or because of it. That’s about 6 percent of its workforce.
In the past few weeks South Florida has become one of the epicenters of the deadly, quickly spreading disease. Intensive care units in hospitals are quickly filling up and the number of cases and deaths in the state have risen at an alarming rate. On Thursday, the state broke its own record for deaths over a 24-hour period with 156.
This week Key Biscayne Police Chief Charles Press and former Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said they had tested positive for the virus. Miami Police Chief Jorge Colina and Pinecrest Police Chief Samuel Ceballos Jr. have already recovered from it.
As the local infection rates worsen, several police departments are trying to adjust on the fly.
Miami Beach City Manager Jimmy Morales said earlier this week that he’s beefing up street patrols and police presence as throngs of partiers continue to gather in the tourism mecca and practice “unsafe behavior.” The city also banned short-term vacation rentals. Beginning next week, officers will work staggered days and 12-hour shifts. It’s a practice the department used early on during the pandemic that it believes was effective in limiting the infection rate among police.
Miami Beach police spokesman Ernesto Rodriguez said police work has intensified as the infection rate has risen. The new policing plan goes into effect Monday. The county’s 10 p.m. curfew remains in effect.
“Calls for service and the day-to-day challenge of policing are now stronger,” he said.
Miami Police spokeswoman Kenia Fallat said the city hasn’t beefed up patrols, but it continues to enforce the mask requirement. A first-time offender receives a warning. Caught a second time, it’s a $50 fine. For a third time offender, it’s an arrest and a citation with a Promise to Appear in Court ticket.
Fallat said the department’s day-to-day operations have not been interrupted despite the current number of officers who are out.
“We’re seeing the numbers have obviously risen,” she said. “But we’re making good.”
On Thursday Miami-Dade commissioners came to full agreement on a new punishment for anyone not obeying a countywide mask requirement: a $100 fine. There are exceptions, like for babies or folks participating in certain types of strenuous activity. But if you’re walking your dog, wear a mask.
Both code enforcement and police will actively enforce the new requirement. Miami-Dade Police Detective Argemis Colome said the intention isn’t for police to target people. But he did say it would now be easier for an officer to identify scofflaws — they’re the ones not wearing masks.
Colome said patrols will be increased with some investigative units working alongside county business regulators. And, he said, police will continue to enter businesses and restaurants to make sure workers are adhering to the directive to wear masks at all times.
“We’re not targeting people to make it worse,” Colome said. “It’s going to be continuous enforcement like before, but with routine business checks. Anyone not wearing a mask in public can be fined,” he said.
This story was originally published July 17, 2020 at 11:42 AM.
