Miami Seashore proclaims 8:00 p.m. leisure district curfew, closure of three causeways main into the town – CBS Miami

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Miami Beach officials held a press conference Saturday afternoon to announce a new curfew for the entertainment district at 8 p.m.

In addition, officials announced the closure of the Julia Tuttle, Venetian causeway and Macarthur Dam from 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. on Saturday evening

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Raul J. Aguila, Interim City Manager, said that all restaurants and bars in the entertainment district must close by 8 p.m.

Aguila declared a state of emergency across the city amid significant concerns from the Miami Beach Police Department regarding larger-than-expected crowds for the spring break.

The city of Miami Beach declares a state of emergency. Security measures include a 8 p.m. curfew in the city’s High Imapct Zone and the closure of the causeway starting this evening.

Read more: https://t.co/2aleyVaON4 pic.twitter.com/cdFRYAy6mg

– Miami Beach Police (@MiamiBeachPD) March 20, 2021

The measures come a day after the restaurant at the Clevelander Hotel had to close due to a violent incident.

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Miami Beach police chief Rick Clements said the crowd was out of control. He added that some companies have suffered damage.

Mayor Gelber had said for years he was pushing to transform South Beach into a more family-friendly environment, and says the increasing crime is the result of the party atmosphere that is now synonymous with South Beach.

“We have made this area an area where anything is possible. It’s a kind of play, play, play area instead of a work-play-live area. For me, I want to diversify myself there so that not only 105 bars are open until 5 a.m. “

To keep the crowd under control and prevent similar incidents, the Miami Beach Police Department has stepped up patrols and implemented a policy of non-tolerance.

Miami Beach Police Spokesman Ernesto Rodriguez said, “In the last 5 1/2 weeks we have seen over 900 arrests here in our city. We have issued more than 5,000 traffic quotes. Last night alone, nearly two dozen arrests were made in our entertainment district alone. “

Fifty percent of these arrests are from overseas, 374 from Miami-Dade, 94 from Miami Beach, 141 homeless, 78 living elsewhere in Florida.

Miami Beach Police have teamed up with multiple law enforcement agencies to patrol the beach and process those arrested.

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“It is a dangerous situation for our community. It is a dangerous situation for officers and so it is important that we act quickly and use tactics like pepperballs to disperse the crowd, ”said Rodriguez.