Miami is considered the largest city in the state of Florida. Many tourist articles describe this city as a unique city of contrasts, contradictions, and extremes. Currently, the city of Miami is home for many celebrities, entertainers, athletes, retired families and upcoming tourist and immigrants who migrated to this tourist center of a city. Unfortunately, the city also has a negative side; Miami Florida has served as a refuge for the famous and infamous, including gangsters during Prohibition, serial killers, deposed Latin American dictators, sheiks, rock stars, artists, writers, athletes, and just about anyone starting over.
As political conditions in the Western Hemisphere fluctuate, Miami continues to be a destination for waves of refugees (Miami, 1998).
According to the Encyclopedia or Urban America (1998), Miami currently has the largest percentage of foreign-born residents of any metropolitan area in the United States. With over half its population of Hispanic origin and more than one-fifth black, many from the Caribbean, Miami is multiculturalism. Immigrants, who choose to migrate in the city of Miami, are presented with the opportunity and the lifestyle of starting from the very bottom of the financial and social pyramid, work hard, and abide by the laws and regulations with the expectations of success and benefiting their families.
The Cubans, Nicaraguan, and Haitian are working hard to gain one common goal, success, and climbing their current financial status. The American dream is more than just alive in the minds of the immigrants who migrate to this preferred destination.
The city of Miami is also known as Magic city, known for the diverse and ethnic culture in South Florida.
The City of Miami is also the home for the Miami heat basketball team and the Miami Dolphins football team. The City of Miami has been the vacation hotspot for college spring vacations and family vacations for the social life offered in the City.
According to the Census of 2000, Miami’s population is made up of 362,470 and by the end of 2011; the population is expected to increase to 390,191 individuals. The Census of 2000 also illustrates that the city of Miami has a sixty percent Hispanic population, a twenty-three percent of African American population and only a twelve percent of Caucasian population. Individuals between the ages of twenty to forty-four make up more than thirty-nine percent of the population, followed by people who are between the ages of sixty to seventy four, which makes up about twenty percent of the city’s population. Unemployment rate is as low as ten percent (Miami Government, 2011).
Population of Miami (Florida)
Miami is the State of Florida’s largest city as well as the largest city in Miami-Dade County. Dating back to the Cuban Revolution of 1959, the City of Miami had an influx of Cuban immigrants and over the years developed into a major city and became a cosmopolitan. Many immigrants fled countries that had a crumbling economy or imposed political sanctions or persecution. Along with immigrants, Miami has a large population of retirees from the North and Midwest. The large migration to Miami brought other changes, resulting in Miami having the image of an international city making it a gateway to Latin America. Miami has experienced major population shifts throughout its history.
Over time, more people have migrated from rural to urban regions of Florida in search of a change in lifestyle, economic pursuits, and social structure. Miami’s population shift as the upper as well as middle classes matriculates outward from the city centers with the poorer citizens being left behind within the inner city, often living near enclaves of the very rich. This matriculation causes the suburbs to expand and combine with the suburbs of nearby metropolitan areas to form a megalopolis, or a vast regional city in which many metropolises merge.
Only Texas and California have as many urban centers separated by miles of terrain. Urban centers grow to a certain level, after which economic improvement allows many citizens to move away from city centers not to rural areas but to new suburban developments. The issues faced by the City of Miami are no different from those of other American cities. Miami too experience an increase in crime to overcrowding, from deteriorating race relations to deteriorating urban services and a reduced tax base. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the total population of Miami is 399, 457. The two largest racial make-up of the population is 72% Caucasian and 70% Hispanic with 19.2% of the population being comprised of Afro-Americans.” For years, Florida has suffered the highest crime rate of any state and the highest rate of violent crime per capita with Miami being the epee-center.
Compared to many other cities, Miami is relatively less wealthy and has a high volume of poverty stricken areas. A contributing factor to high crime rates and areas is poverty. These areas such as Liberty City or the Pork and Beans Housing Projects are areas with more impoverished residents and are likely to see more frequent violence and drug crimes, in particular. As the economy continues to take a downward spiral it is likely that the Miami police department will post increases in their crime statistics in these areas. Crime rates tend to increase with the increase of job loss. Families are struggling with the lack of disposable income, and a weak job market offering little opportunity, some people may turn to criminal activity. The current unemployment rate in the City of Miami is 11.5. The living wage for Miami-Dade County is $11.36 per hour with health benefits, or $13.01 per hour if health benefits are not provided.
Tourism is a major industry for Miami, and many visitors never see the “under-belly” of Miami because of the city’s highway system, allowing political leaders to ignore the poorer-high crime areas while catering to these visitors. All this means its violent crime problem is unlikely to abate soon. The total crimes for the population are about one and a half times the national average for all crimes. In reality; however, violent crime in Miami has increased and contributing to this problem is Miami’s growing population. The city has a mixed racial makeup with a large black and Latin population. At the same time, Miami also may be the nation’s capital of multiculturalism of the very sort sought by other American cities as the population changes. Many American cities have encountered increasing problems along with growth. Poor high crime areas in Miami cannot develop the necessary tax base to pay for better schools to education the next generation so it will not have to live in poverty.
Miami is considered to be more dangerous than many other city of size. New Orleans is considered the most dangerous of all, followed by Camden, New Jersey. In 2008 the City of Miami Gardens was ranked as the thirteenth most dangerous city with a population in excess of 75,000 out of all cities in Florida. The expansion of the prison system by an additional 1,865 beds will be needed to handle the influx over the next five years. Official projections; however, suggest the number of beds that will be needed is far from adequate.
When individuals violate the laws of the land, they are housed in a facility ran by the Miami-Dade County Corrections and Rehabilitation Department. The county jail is comprised of five correctional facilities: the Pre-Trial Detention Center, Women’s Detention Center, Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, Training and Treatment Center, and the Metro West Detention Center. These facilities hold on average 7,000 inmates, who are awaiting trial or are serving sentences of 364 days or less. Currently Miami-Dade County Jail houses about 6, 224 inmates. Of these 6, 224 inmates, 3, 412 are Afro-American; 1,700 are Hispanic with 2, 808 Whites being incarcerated.
The department has a Boot Camp Program for youthful offenders, a Work Release Center and a medical unit at Jackson Memorial Hospital. The space problem also plagues the juvenile system, in which a shortage of beds forced authorities to put young offenders back on the street to await space in a juvenile facility. While waiting, it is not surprising that these young offenders commit more crimes.
Public Attitude
High crime rate has plagued the city of Miami, “Florida” for decades. Even though including all crimes, the crime rate for the total population is about one and a half times the nation average. These crimes include high statistics in murders, robberies, and aggravated assaults. Miami experience approximately 20 murders per 100,000 people compared to the national average of just seven. Miami experienced 537 robberies per 100,000 residents, more than twice the national average of 206. Aggravated assaults are 927 per 100,000 people nearly three times the national average of 337.
The city of Miami is also less wealthy than others, and poverty is a major contributing factor for high crime rates. Residents living in impoverished areas are likely to experience more violent and drug crimes than others. Citizens believe that with the economic downturn in full force, they will see an increase in crime statistics in the upcoming years because as unemployment rises, so does the crime rates. Families face less money to spend and without work or money to occupy some people, they often turn to criminal activity.
Many residents believe that the lack of Fortune 500 companies is the main obstacle facing Miami’s growth and evolution to a top-tier city. They think that the continued development of the downtown and Brickell area, expansions of the airport, and the addition of the new baseball stadium will make the city more attractive. Citizens believe Miami has the potentials of Hong Kong, but the problem with the city is its lack of honest government, not with crooks, and criminals. They understand that they must learn to vote for what is best for their community, not the ghetto, not Cuba, not Venezuela, areas the majority of citizens migrate from. Intelligent, educated people are leaving in masses going to other states is another problem because it will not help attract Fortune 500 companies. Citizens believe that until all these issues are addressed and resolved, Miami will continue to move in the wrong direction, just a party city with no jobs (Paez, nd)
Change of location
All big cities have downtowns as an important of their central point of their city however, unlike Miami, Fl not many cities have as much to do like Downtown Miami does (Castelo-Blanco, 2010). Miami’s violent crime rate is the highest in the country, considering they have high indecencies of robbery, and assault. Thankfully in terms of other cities their murder rate is relatively low. Miami, like many cities property values fluctuate all, depending on the crime around the area. Home prices around the Miami areas is range from Coral Gables of 210K – 250K, it appears that the most crime in Miami does occur in the North Miami Beach area. The home values in that area range from 43K – 72K, while in other areas such as South Beach homes range from the 750K – Millions. Although Miami is a beautiful place to visit and stay for some time police reports suggest that they travel with a contingent of large people and stay in areas where it is highly lit and populated such as downtown, Miami.
The crime rate in Miami has caused much separation in the difference and quality of living for people in Miami, as one travels down the Dolphin Expressway, people can notice a culture change in which areas are not in shabby condition by illegal activities. One of the unique tools the Miami-Dade police department allows residents to do is use the crime mapping program that helps empower the community by putting valuable public safety information at the community’s fingertips.
The Miami-Dade shows they there were 140 crimes between March 22nd, 2011, and March 28th, 2011. The Hollywood police department 139 from March 27th, 2011 through April 2nd, 2011, and the Plantation police department had 53 crimes between March 27th, 2011 and April 2nd, 2011 all ranging from theft, assault, and illegal drug activity. This program shows clearly that home prices and transportation levels change as people choose to live away from the city center. Miami downtown is the party center and where the night life lives however it is so close to higher crime areas that people choose to live in areas such as Miami Beach, South Beach, where homes cost 10 times more than areas in North Miami Beach.
Hotspots
As mentioned Miami Florida is known as a beautiful vacation spot. Many tourists come to Miami to vacation because of the lovely atmosphere of Downtown Miami and South Beach. Miami is also known as a celebrity hotspot many celebrities are known to have condos along South Beach or either own a home on Star Island. Although Miami is known to be a beautiful vacation area unfortunately just as many other cities it has its hotspots for criminal activity. In Miami there are quite a few hotspots, which consist of major criminal activity such as robbery, assaults, murder, and mainly the possession of illegal drugs. These hotspot areas are Overtown, Little Haiti, Opa Locka, and Liberty City.
In Miami there is a program called Weed and Seed, which initiatives when begun, was to focus on the drug sales and prostitution that ran rampant through the criminal hotspot areas mainly in Little Haiti and Liberty City.
Recent news that has occurred in the hotspot areas of Miami, FL, is the killing of seven African American men. Research states, “Over a seven-month period between July 2010 and February 2011, Miami police — mostly officers on specialized task forces — shot and killed seven men, at least two of whom were unarmed. The succession of shootings, which came after a few years of relative calm, awoke old tensions in the Overtown, Little Haiti, and Liberty City neighborhoods, and caused a political firestorm at City Hall (Miami Herald, 2011).
These three areas mentioned are known for their criminal activity however the slaying of seven African American men over a seven-month period has made members of the community and family members of the deceased outraged. The people of the community are looking to have the Chief of the City of Miami Police Department removed because they feel as though City of Miami Police Chief Miguel Exposito is doing little to nothing about the situation or the officers involved with the shootings. This only leads people to believe that the crime rates in the hotspot areas may increase because the members of the community are furious with the police departments.
Conclusion
In 2010, there were a total of 31,000 crimes where 6,000 were violent crimes and more than 24,000 crimes were property crimes. With a crime rate of 86 per one thousand residents, Miami has one of the highest crime rates in America compared to all communities. Because the city of Miami is considered a tourist city with all the visitors as well as the diverse individual all fighting for obtaining the American Dream; many people commit crimes to climb the social and financial ladder faster. Many people must start at the bottom to arrive at the top is frustrating to many causing them to commit crimes.
References
Miami, Florida. (1998). In Encyclopedia of Urban America: The Cities and Suburbs. Retrieved
from http://www.credoreference.com/entry/abcurban/miami_florida.
Miami Government. (2011). About the City Of Miami. Retrieved from http://www.miamigov.com/press/pressreleases/miami/AbouttheCity.asp.
Miami Herald. (2011). Families of men shot dead by Miami police get their say. Retrieved from
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/03/23/2130756/families-of-men-shot-by-miami.html
Paez, Adolfo L., Ed., Miami: Public Attitudes about Crime. A
National Crime Survey Report.
Institution: Bureau of the Census (DOC), Suitland, Md.
Roman, C. G., Cahill, M., & Coggeshall, M. (2005). The Weed and Seed Initiative and Crime
Displacement in South Florida: 5-6.
Retrieved from http://www.statenet.com/welfare/flborland.html.
Retrieved from www.miamidade.gov/corrections/facilities.asp
Retrieved from http://www.floridahistory.org
Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Miami, _Florida
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