DAVID ARTHUR WALTERS November 5, 2011 Mayor Matti Bower CITY OF MIAMI BEACH City Hall Miami Beach,

Florida 33139 Subject: Elected Police Commissioner Honorable Mayor: Congratulations on your easy re-election to office. I petition you to begin a dialogue on my general suggestion that the City of Miami Beach should have an elected Police Commissioner to whom the Police Chief answers, and who sits on the City Commission. It is my belief that such a structure would allow residents to have a better voice in police affairs, something that is, in my opinion, sorely needed. Many residents, not understanding that our Police Department is a top-down command structure whose Police Chief answers to the City Manager, who in turn answers to the City Commission, blame police officers on the street and their commanders for lax enforcement of the laws even when it is not their fault because orders have come down to go easy on minor violators in order to cultivate South Beachs image as a wild, hedonistic destination. That permissive attitude has had its commercial benefits but at considerable cost in terms of dollars and human dignity. For one thing it has cultivated disrespect for law and law enforcement officers, and contempt for the residents of South Beach, and has attracted perpetrators of major crimes to the area. For instance, we have had several shootings, involving individuals armed or pretending to be armed, swaggering down Washington Avenue as if South Beach were in Dodge City of old. And one man beat a tourist to death on the sidewalk in front of a pool hall as a crowd stood by; one of them took a video of the event and posted it on the Internet, an advertisement that will attract more ruffians to the city. I need not go on as you are well aware of the plethora of crimes committed, in part due to a lack of appreciation by city leaders for the validity of the Broken Windows and Monkey See Monkey Do hypotheses. Another major issue is the internal management of the Police Department itself. I personally believe, from my recent experiences living in the South Beach ghetto known as Seventh Heaven, and by comparing my many experiences there to old reports of ineffectiveness, that we have an effective police force despite its failings. It disturbs me to see the media, especially the Miami Herald, harp on the perceived faults of the Department and a few of its officers while not reporting or reporting and quickly forgetting the good things that have been done by officers of the law to keep the peace.

DAVID ARTHUR WALTERS Unfortunately for the residents of Miami Beach as a whole, a very small minority of them vote, the majority of them old-timers over 50, even when a majority of the population including visitors voice complaints, for example, about lax enforcement of laws. Hence it only takes a few thousand votes to win the office of mayor or commissioner; most of them living away from the fray; that is not conducive to making the elected leaders accountable when their hearts are not with the People. You had a reputation on the Commission for having your heart in the right place. It occurs to me that if all our public servants had their heart in that place, we would all be better off. It is with that in mind that I hope to hear from you in the near future about getting a dialogue going on the subject of whether or not we should have an elected police commissioner for the City of Miami Beach. Of course, as a journalist I would like to have your comments pro or con on the suggestion, as well as the City Managers, as that would lend my upcoming report more weight. Sincerely, David Arthur Walters Cc: Officer Deborah Doty Media Relations Officer MIAMI BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT David Smiley THE MIAMI HERALD