A cop at every bar? Ocean Drive party scene may change under new proposal
In an effort to establish a uniform policing blueprint to rein in late-night crowds on Ocean Drive, the Miami Beach City Commission wants to assign an off-duty police officer at almost every bar along the South Beach corridor.
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 sentinel outside their businesses until closing time. Even if a business were to close at 2 a.m., the union-set minimum shift for off-duty officers is 4 hours at roughly $65 and $70 per hour, including an administrative fee collected by the city. Closing time can be as late as 5 a.m.
After passing unanimously on first reading, the proposal — introduced to the commission on Dec. 11 by Mayor Dan Gelber — is expected to pass on second reading in January after undergoing tweaks in the Finance and Citywide Projects Committee.
It has received the support of the Ocean Drive Association, a business group that represents proprietors on the corridor, and some of the more high-profile businesses on the strip, like Mango’s Tropical Cafe.
“Many of the businesses have asked for this,” said Commissioner Ricky Arriola, who chairs the Finance and Citywide Projects Committee. “The extra police presence will not only help keep the public safe but also help the establishments disperse crowds,” he said.
The new proposal marks the latest chapter in the often controversial history of policing on Ocean Drive. Miami Beach police briefly suspended off-duty service at bars and clubs in 2014 after a sergeant drank on the job and unholstered his weapon during an overtime shift at Mango’s. He was fired but returned to his job in 2016 after an independent arbiter ruled Sgt. Mike Muley could return to work if he successfully completed rehabilitation and was declared medically fit.
The department lifted the off-duty ban about two months after Muley’s incident, but introduced new rules that prohibited officers from working at the same club weekend after weekend. The new policy also stipulated that officers stay outside establishments unless a cop is needed inside for a legitimate reason.
The committee will consider the resolution before referring it back to the full commission. Some expected “tweaks” include expanding the bars affected under the resolution to include those on Washington Avenue, and eliminating language that would allow adjacent bars to share one officer.
Under the current wording of the resolution, each bar and club would be required to hire its own off-duty officer from midnight until closing time, but Arriola said he wants to keep them half an hour later to help clear the area after the bars close.
David Wallack, the owner of Mango’s Tropical Cafe, said he pays a $12 per hour administrative fee for the officers at his club. He hopes the city can reduce that fee with the passage of the new resolution.
“With this law, it will make it so many can afford it,” he said. “It’ll bring [Ocean Drive] back to being the park and promenade that it is.”
Ceci Velasco, the Ocean Drive Association’s executive director, said businesses on Ocean Drive have been requesting off-duty officers for “the past few years” but high costs and other restrictions prevented them from hiring officers.
“We always thought it was a good idea,” Velasco said. “The ordinance creates a formula so it’s equitable.”
Currently seven businesses on Ocean Drive, including the Clevelander and Mango’s, boast an off-duty cop outside their establishments, a Miami Beach Police spokesman said. Others use private security, or rely on patrolling officers to provide security.
Commissioner Mark Samuelian, who voted for the ordinance, said businesses should pay for the added police presence because they enjoy revenues from the entertainment district.
“We want more security on Ocean Drive and given that the businesses are benefiting with the profit, we believe they should have the responsibility for the funding and paying for it,” he said. “The businesses — a number of them — have expressed a positive reaction to the idea.”
