A day after a Miami Beach Police sergeant was relieved of duty after he was reportedly drunk while working an off-duty job at a South Beach club; Miami Beach Police Chief Dan Oates indefinitely suspended the police of allowing cops to work off-duty security at night clubs in the city.
“Recent events, as well as a city-funded audit of the Police Department, suggest that there is a need for a comprehensive review of our off-duty work policies,” Chief Oates said in a statement. “I am convinced we need more safeguards and tighter rules before we can consider allowing this kind of work to resume.”
Oates policy change came a day after police received an anonymous call around 4:30 a.m. Monday that a sergeant was intoxicated while working the off-duty job at Mangos Tropical Café. The shift commander responded to the club to investigate, and the sergeant was taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital for medical treatment and alcohol testing, police said.
Police later confirmed Sgt. Mike Muley was the officer involved in the incident. He has since been relieved from duty with pay until the investigation into this incident is complete.
Chief Oates said the police contacted all of the clubs impacted by the change Tuesday. The policy change will be implemented on August 1.
The clubs impacted by the change include:
- Club Bamboo 550 Washington Avenue
- Cameo Theatre 1445 Washington Avenue
- Clevelander 1020 Ocean Drive
- Club LIV at the Fontainbleau Hotel 4444 Collins Avenue
- Dream Nightclub 1532 Washington Avenue
- Fat Tuesday 918 Ocean Drive
- Mangos 900 Ocean Drive
- Mansion 1235 Washington Avenue
- Mynt Ultralounge 1921 Collins Avenue
- Oceans Ten 960 Ocean drive
- Nikki Beach 1 Ocean Drive
- Purdy Lounge 1811 Purdy Avenue
- Story Miami 136 Collins Avenue
- Wet Willies 760 Ocean Drive
Miami Beach Fraternal Order of Police President Alex Bello called the change in policy "disheartening" in a statement late Tuesday.
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"Analyses by past administrations have shown officers at private venues act as a force multiplier thereby reducing the strain of on duty services," Bello said. "These officers act as a deterrent to any potential problems that may arise in addition to being readily available to diffuse and act upon those that escalate to the point of needing enforcement action."
