Would off-duty Miami Beach cops at every Ocean Drive bar mean the party’s over? Nah! | Editorial

The problem is as old as South Beach’s reputation as a wild nightlife haven: live music, bars that keep the liquor flowing into the night — and early morning; tourists looking to make subtropical memories — and mischief.

These all have created an explosive combination for Miami Beach and a major challenge to the city’s efforts to keep law and order — especially on Ocean Drive, the wildly popular stretch that Mayor Dan Gelber told the Editorial Board too often feels “out of control.”

Gelber proposed and the City Commission recently approved at first reading installing an off-duty police officer at almost every bar along the neon-blasted corridor.

It’s a good plan that could, once and for all, create uniformity in bringing order to the party. If it doesn’t fix all of the all-night party problems — residents on the strip still complain about noise — it could at least mitigate violence and rowdiness. It’s important that, if implemented, the plan and its results of monitored for effectiveness.

The mayor said his goal is to make it work for everyone: bar owners, hotel owners, partygoers, residents, the city and the police department. Gelber said he is open to suggestions.

“When I introduced the proposal, I acknowledged that it needed to be more than tweaked in a few areas,” the mayor said.

“First, we have to make sure that we have the manpower. Second we need to make sure that some establishments, for instance those with hotels or restaurants, might be treated differently,” he said. That sounds fair.

The mayor said there’s little pushback. After all, everyone wants a solution.

Here’s how it would work: Bars and nightclubs between Fifth and 15th streets that serve alcohol past midnight would be required to pay up to $350 a night for a Miami Beach cop to stand outside their businesses until closing time. The union-set minimum shift for off-duty officers is four hours at roughly $65 to $70 per hour. Closing time can be as late as 5 a.m.

Currently, some businesses on Ocean Drive, have an off-duty cop, but that’s outside. Others use private security or rely on officers patrolling on the street. All have proven inadequate.

The mayor’s proposal is expected to pass on second reading in January, after the Finance and Citywide Projects Committee, headed by Commissioner Ricky Arriola, takes a stab at tweaks.

The mayor’s proposal marks the latest chapter in the often controversial history of policing on Ocean Drive. In 2011, an on-duty Beach police officer drove an ATV over two people lying on the beach. He was charged with DUI and reckless driving. The officer, along with another one, had been partying and drinking with women at a bachelorette party at The Clevelander. In 2014, Miami Beach police briefly suspended off-duty service at bars and clubs after a sergeant drank on the job and unholstered his weapon during an overtime shift at Mango’s.

The department eventually lifted the off-duty ban, but introduced new rules. The new policy also stipulated that officers stay outside establishments, unless a cop is needed inside.

The measure also comes at a time when the city named a new police chief, Rick Clements, who is trying to make policing smarter and more effective. In other words, patrolling Ocean Drive should not come at the expense of patrolling the other areas of the city.

Establishment owners along Ocean Drive seem to be behind the proposal the mayor told the Editorial Board. And they are an important component.

It will be impossible to get rowdy visitors to behave. But an off-duty officer in most every bar could get them them to behave a little better, making the streets safer for everyone.