After Miami Beach commissioners decided against a curfew following a deadly spring break weekend, some businesses are taking things into their own hands.
Spring breakers were captured on cellphone video wreaking havoc at Candy Shack Daiquiris and Wings over the weekend, throwing chairs and tables at staff.
“Miami is a destination. It’s been a destination for a while," said manager Zae Mitchell. "I feel that’s to be expected. Preparation is everything."
He said the business just opened, so before this weekend, they were not prepared. But after this incident, they decided to hire security from midday until closing at 1 p.m.
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“I feel we as people in business, we should have security," Mitchell said. "And if there was more security at each establishment, the chaos wouldn’t be so hectic."
He said police are present but there just aren’t enough to handle the large crowds.
There is already a massive police presence during peak spring break days Thursday through Sunday, with 470 officers on the streets at any given time.
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As of Monday, police made 370 arrests. In the last 24 hours, that number is closer to 400, with a handful of new gun seizures up from 70 since spring break started.
Immediately after the weekend chaos, city leaders held an emergency meeting but failed to extend a curfew for next weekend. It will be the second busiest during March, with crowds from Ultra Miami Music Festival expected to start arriving as early as Wednesday.
"I'm disappointed that the city commission did not support the request from our public safety experts to extend the curfew when law enforcement tells us they need a curfew to protect life and property," Commissioner Alex Fernandez said.
City commissioners instead forced liquor stores to stop selling at 6 p.m. instead of 8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.
"This is not the way to resolve it. If you’re going to shut me down, be fair, shut down Ocean Drive entirely, the bars, and be fair," said the owner of Gulf Liquors on Alton Road.
He said the restriction would cost him $20,000 for the weekend — now, he’s suing the city.
"We’re doing an emergency injunction with the courts to be able to stop the procedure from me being shut down on Thursday at 6 p.m. and throughout the weekend," he said. "With Music Conference and Ultra and spring break, it will affect my business."
Other small markets and corner stores also said they are being unfairly targeted for a problem city leaders haven’t been able to solve year after year.
"Every time it does that, we lose business," another business owner said. "The thing is people come here from different places, they come for parties not to stay at hotels, so they have to have the drink."
City commissioners agreed the measure wasn’t much of a solution, but it's something.
"What we have seen is that liquor is contributing to the criminal behavior that is taking over our streets," Fernandez said.
