Coral Gables residents are wanting answers after a resident fled from her house during a recent burglary. The neighbors in the area of Bird Road and Santa Maria Street are being extra vigilant due to an uptick in crime. On February 11, around 8 pm, a resident was forced to flee her home after hearing glass breaking on the second story of her house. Although she made it out safely, the neighborhood is worried this could happen again. This home invasion burglary has further exacerbated the already existing concerns of lack of police presence in the area, and longer police response times.
Chief Recommends Residents Hire Off-Duty Officers
During recent discussions between the residents and Chief Hudak, the chief has recommended that the residents pay to hire additional off duty officers to patrol the area and placed a message board on Bird Road to deter crime. However, this has been met with frustration as the residents feel that it’s the responsibility of the police department to ensure their safety. The message board with the message “POLICE ACTIVITY IN THE AREA” has also been met with skepticism by the residents, as they believe it’s not addressing the problem proactively. The worried neighbors have created a group chat sharing their concerns of lack of police presence, crime, and suspicious people in the area.
Crime Stats
It’s not just the area of Santa Maria Street that’s affected by the increase in crime. A resident who lives on the 700 block of Valencia Avenue recently voiced concerns at the February 14 commission meeting that crime is up in his area, and he’s having a difficult time getting accurate crime stats from the police department. This points to a larger issue of transparency and communication between the police department and the community they serve.
Exodus Of Officers
The situation is further compounded by the fact that over 15 officers intend to leave the department for the Miami-Dade County Police Department. City officials deny that there is an officer retention issue, but rumors persist that the chief of police has reached out to Miami-Dade County Police requesting that they not hire all of the applicants at one time. The residents are worried that this will further impact the already stretched-thin police force, leaving them vulnerable to crime.
Election Year
All of these concerns come during an election year for Mayor Vince Lago, along with whispers that Chief Hudak will throw his hat into the 2024 Miami-Dade County Sheriff race. This raises questions about the motives behind the decisions being made by the city officials and the police department.
As a community, it’s important to come together to find a solution to this problem. The residents need to have a dialogue with the police department to address their concerns and come up with a plan to ensure their safety. The city officials need to be transparent and communicate effectively with the community about the situation. It’s crucial that the police department takes proactive steps to address the issue rather than reactive measures such as message boards. All of these efforts will help in creating a safe and secure environment for the residents of the area.
Gables used to be safe. Times have changed.
Coral Gables is changing. All new highrises, more traffic and I guess more crime now. I liked the smaller town feel. I think the city leaders want us to be Brickell.
In a growing city with “…immense reserves” as Vince Lago, the mayor of Coral Gables so eloquently put it, it’s inevitable that more resources will be needed. With more people coming in and out of Coral Gables on a daily basis, an uptick in overall crime is sadly expected. Restaurants, Malls, High-rises being constructed regularly….it’s predictable that your services are going to be stretched thin. If they increase the police/fire department presence and pay them a fair wage in order to retain them, the Gables can continue to scale up. Until then, the quality will decrease, employee morale will continue to suffer, and the City Beautiful will become just another victim of political greed.
I’d love to put my armaments to work 😉
The police officers will leave, even if not at all at once. The Fire Department personal will soon follow. You want to fix your problems. Get Largo out, it’s that simple.
Sometimes the simplest fix is right in front of us.
Do you think the city has enough in tax receipts to fund all this mess or is it possible that drug cartels and China via the belt and road program ? I vote B !
You would think an affluent city like Coral Gables would treat their residents with some respect. What do we pay out taxes for if we have to then pay for private security??
I was born and raised in Coral Gables. When my friends and I would ride our bikes, we would constantly see the police making rounds in their cars. Now I live in North Gables and there are 2 policemen sitting in one car waiting for someone to make an illegal “cross the street” because you have to make a right turn. They sit there for hours, doing nothing! Mayor Lago has got to go!
I’ve lived in the Gables for over 10 years. Our police are great and the response time are even better. I wouldn’t live anywhere else in South Florida.
In a growing city with “…immense reserves” as Vince Lago, the mayor of Coral Gables so eloquently put it, it’s inevitable that more resources will be needed. With more people coming in and out of Coral Gables on a daily basis, an uptick in overall crime is sadly expected. Restaurants, Malls, High-rises being constructed regularly….it’s predictable that your services are going to be stretched thin. If they increase the police/fire department presence and pay them a fair wage in order to retain them, the Gables can continue to scale up. Until then, the quality will decrease, employee morale will continue to suffer, and the City Beautiful will become just another victim of political greed.