>> FROM LOCAL STATION NEWSFOURJAX. ♪
NEWSFOURJAX. ♪ >> AS DETECTIVES IN
JACKSONVILLE BEACH ASK FOR
HELP SOLVING THE STRAIT OF
SHOOTINGS ON SAINT PATRICK’S
DAY. THE LEADERS AND RESIDENTS
ARE WONDERING HOW TO PREVENT
VIOLENCE LIKE THIS FROM
HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE.
POLICE RELEASED VIDEO. THIS
VIDEO PEOPLE SCATTERING AFTER
ONE OF THE SHOOTING SUNDAY
EVENING. A 21 YEAR-OLD MAN
DIED. 3 MORE MEN WERE
HOSPITALIZED. NEWS 4 JAX
REPORTER VIC MICOLUCCI LOOKS
AT HOW MIAMI BEACH AND
VIOLENCE LAST YEAR.
>> AND A STRATEGY. THEY SAY
IT’S BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN
PREVENTING CRIME THIS YEAR.
>> THIS WAS MIAMI BEACH LAST
SPRING BREAK. VIDEO SHOWS
PEOPLE SCATTERING AFTER A
SHOOTING. THERE WERE SEVERAL
FIGHTS, AT LEAST 2 MURDERS AND
NEARLY 500 ARRESTS. CONTRAST
THAT WITH THIS YEAR WHERE
OFFICIALS SAY THINGS ARE MUCH
QUIETER, NO HOMICIDES AND NO
MAJOR ISSUES. BUT WHY?
>> THIS COULD BE A POSSIBILITY
AND IT’S NOT IT’S YOU.
>> JUST WANT DIFFERENT THINGS.
ALL RIGHT. YOU HAVE A GOOD
TIME. IT’S RELAXING ON THE
BEACH.
>> GETTING UP A SPOT OR
CHECKING OUT A NEW RESTAURANT.
YOU DON’T WANT TO GET DRUNK IN
PUBLIC AND IGNORE LAWS. CITY
LEADERS LAUNCHED A
CONTROVERSIAL CAMPAIGN.
>> TO BREAK UP WITH SPRING
BREAK. THIS WAS A VERY ROBUST
PLAN AND IT WAS INTENTIONALLY
MEANT TO TARGET 2 THINGS,
PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE QUALITY
OF LIFE FOR RESIDENTS. MIAMI
BEACH POLICE OFFICER
CHRISTOPHER BESS TELLS US THE
GOAL WAS TO PUSH OUT ILLEGAL
BEHAVIOR, NOT KEEP OUT
PEACEFUL BEACHGOERS TO DO
THAT. THE CITY CLOSED PARKING
GARAGES AND IMPOSED A $30 FLAT
FEE RATE FOR NON RESIDENTS.
THEY’VE DOUBLED THE TOWING FEE
FOR NON-RESIDENTS TO $516
CLOSED CERTAIN BEACH
ENTRANCES. A LIQUOR STORES
SHUT DOWN AT 08:00PM AND THIS
PAST WEEKEND PUT A CURFEW IN
PLACE FROM MIDNIGHT TO 06:00AM
ALL WHILE FLOODING THE STREETS
WITH OFFICERS FROM 18
DIFFERENT AGENCIES. HE SAYS
IT’S MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE
GIVEN NOT ALL BUSINESSES AND
VISITORS ARE HAPPY. THE OWNERS
OF 3 NIGHT CLUBS HAVE SUED
OVER THE CURFEW, CLAIMING IT’S
COSTING THEM. WHAT WAS THE
IMPACT OF THE BUSINESSES YOU
THINK ABOUT FEWER PEOPLE? MANY
OF US WITH SAY, OKAY, THAT
MEANS LESS MONEY.
>> FOR THE SHOPS, THE
RESTAURANTS, THE HOTELS.
>> AND THAT’S IMPORTANT TO WE
WANT OUR LOCAL ECONOMY TO
THRIVE. MIAMI BEACH IS
RESPONSIBLE FOR A LARGE
PERCENTAGE OF THE SOUTH. LOCAL
ECONOMY. BUT WE MONTHS
PRIORITIZE PUBLIC SAFETY AND
QUALITY OF LIFE AND THE ARMY
OF IT. AS WE HAVE BUSINESS
OWNERS WHO OUR MAYOR’S OFFICE,
OMINOUS AS WELL, SAYING THAT
THEY DID BETTER IN REVENUE
THIS YEAR BECAUSE OTHERS FEEL
SAFE ENOUGH TO COME OUT AND
ENJOY THEMSELVES AND DINE OUT
COMPARED TO LAST YEAR WHEN
AROUND TIME WE HAVE TO DECLARE
A STATE OF EMERGENCY 350 MILES
NORTH IN JACKSONVILLE BEACH.
CITY LEADERS ARE NOW
DISCUSSING WHAT TO DO AFTER
SUNDAY NIGHT’S VIOLENCE.
>> WHERE THERE WERE 3
SHOOTINGS IN LESS THAN AN HOUR
LEAVING ONE MAN DEAD AND 3
MORE INJURED. THE BAR DISTRICT
WAS EXTRA BUSY BECAUSE OF
SPRING BREAK. SAINT PATRICK’S
DAY.
>> AND THE PLAYERS WILL BE A
GOOD IDEA FOR MAYBE OFFICIALS
IN JACKSONVILLE A LOOK AT YOUR
PLAN AND SAY MAYBE WE COULD
USE SOME OF THESE THINGS TO
OUR ADVANTAGE, TO MAKE THE
STREETS AND THE BEACHES SAFER.
>> WELL, STATE THAT THE STATE
FLORIDA OUT WAS VERY, VERY
WHEN IT CAME DOWN TO PROVIDING
RESOURCES. WE’RE PARTNERS,
RIGHT. AS I SAID FWC WAS ALSO
INCLUDED IN OUR OPERATIONAL
FEDERAL AGENCIES WERE
INCLUDED. SO AS A ENFORCEMENT
WE DO PROVIDE RESOURCES TO
OTHER MUNICIPALITIES AND
THROUGHOUT OUR STATE.
>> WE CHECKED THE NUMBERS AND
MIAMI BEACH POLICE ARRESTED
343 PEOPLE CITYWIDE FROM
MARCH. FIRST TO MARCH, 17TH
LAST YEAR. NOW, IF YOU COMPARE
THAT WITH THIS YEAR IN 2024,
YOU CAN SEE 306 ARRESTS IN
THAT SAME TIME PERIOD. THAT
MEANS ACROSS THE CITY THERE’S
BEEN AN 11% DECLINE. AND
AGAIN, OFFICERS SAY NO
HOMICIDES THIS YEAR. WE’LL
HAVE BETTER NUMBERS AT THE END
OF THE MONTH. VIC MICOLUCCI
CHANNEL 4, THE LOCAL STATION.
>> JACKSONVILLE BEACH POLICE
OFFICERS HAVE PARTNERED WITH
THE FBI TO INVESTIGATE THE
SHOOTINGS. IN THE MEANTIME,
CREATING THIS WEB SITE FOR
WITNESSES TO SUBMIT PICTURES,
VIDEOS AND INFORMATION ABOUT
WHAT HAPPENED. IT’S FBI DOT
GOV. SLASH JACKS BEACH,
HEIGHTENED SHOOTINGS. YOU CAN