Miami Beach

Miami Beach Prepares For Big Crowds to Curb Potential Unruliness Ahead of Memorial Day Weekend

Some businesses were scared after violence erupted during Spring Break

NBC Universal, Inc.

Businesses in Miami Beach are stocking their inventories in anticipation of big crowds for Memorial Day weekend, but it’s not just businesses that are preparing.

On Saturday, 200 Goodwill ambassadors received specialized police training to help out during the holiday.

The training covered topics like human-trafficking awareness, de-escalation techniques, and cultural awareness.

The extra preparation comes on the heels of recent chaos and violence in the entertainment district.

On Friday, a man climbed on top of a traffic signal, bringing traffic to a standstill  and drawing a large crowd, a possible sign that some visitors may not be on their best behavior.

When he came down, police say he ran off and into a hotel before getting arrested.

Along with the extra merchandise for the holiday weekend, swimwear boutique owner, Desiree Nercessian, says she is also preparing herself for potential chaos.

She says the violence during spring break and several weeks after was scary.

So scary that she closed her shop after a shooting happened nearby.

“I closed my shop one day,” she said. “Yes, I closed it and I had some customers, they come inside because everybody was running.”

The chaos during spring break that made national headlines prompted the city to implement an 8 p.m. curfew and the holiday weekend usually attracts more than 200,000 tourists to Miami Beach and other parts of the county.

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