Clean up Ocean Drive
Re the April 16 article Miami Beach considers ban on alcohol sales in outside bars and cafes in early-morning hours: Mayor Philip Levine has this one right. To be clear, this is about “outdoor” sales, not closing bars at 2 a.m., just limiting the sale of alcohol on city streets.
Ocean Drive is a mess. The crowds, noise and traffic render it a sideshow and not the elegant and chic venue it once was.
If drinking ended at 2 a.m., then by 5 a.m. the streets could be clean and the sidewalks open and passable for people that just want to watch the sunrise and enjoy Lummus Park without stumbling over drunks.
The notion that more police will solve this problem is throwing valuable resources and taxpayer money at keeping a few businesses from making an extra buck. Police resources are best deployed to take drunk drivers off the roads.
Frank Kruszewski, Miami Beach
This story was originally published April 18, 2015 at 3:00 PM with the headline "Clean up Ocean Drive."