The Miami Beach Police Department is the

police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and th ...

department of the

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

city of Miami Beach, Florida, patrolling the entire Miami Beach area, although they sometimes cooperate with the county-wide Miami-Dade Police Department. The Miami Beach Police are famous for their bicycle patrols, which wear dark blue shorts and white short-sleeve uniform tops. The bicycle patrols were created due to the frequent traffic congestion of the Miami Beach isles (particularly in the famous Ocean Drive area on South Beach). Bicycle patrols go where patrol vehicles cannot, but they also perform traffic duties. There are even some patrol officers on roller skates. The Miami Beach Police wear dark blue trousers with dark blue shirts, and have red, white, and blue patrol vehicles however, the department is in the process of switching over to black and white patrol vehicles by the end of 2008. The current Chief of the Department is Chief Richard Clements.

Incidents

In recent years, the Miami Beach Police Department has come under scrutiny for their involvement in a series of questionable incidents. In 2009, two officers were accused of taunting and falsely arresting a gay man. In another incident, one of their officers was arrested on felony charges for a crash in an all-terrain vehicle, seriously injuring and hospitalizing two people. The arrested officer and a second officer had been drinking on-duty with a group of women who were having a bachelorette party at a local nightspot prior to the crash. In another incident, officers fired approximately 100 shots at a motorist during a busy Urban Weekend celebration surrounding Memorial Day; numerous innocent bystanders were injured by police bullets. After several years of scrutiny, the investigation remains open. In August 2013, a teenage graffiti artist was chased by police after being observed tagging an abandoned building. The teenager subsequently died after being shot with a taser. His family has filed a lawsuit against the city of Miami Beach. In July 2021, five officers assaulted Dalonta Crudup and two bystanders filming the incident. The officers were charged with first-degree misdemeanor battery.

Firearms

In 2020, the Miami Beach Police adopted the Brügger & Thomet APC variant, APC9K PRO, which includes the lower receiver to accept

SIG Sauer P320 The SIG Sauer P320 is a modular semi-automatic pistol made by SIG Sauer, Inc., SIG Sauer's American branch. It is a further development of the SIG Sauer P250, utilizing a striker-fired mechanism in lieu of a double action only hammer system. Th ...

9mm magazines. Beginning in the 1980s, MBPD transitioned to the

SIG Sauer P226 Sig used as a name may refer to: *Sig (given name) *Sig, Algeria, a city on the banks of the Sig River *Sig Alert, an alert for traffic congestion in California, named after Loyd Sigmon *Sig River, a river of Algeria also known as Mekerra sig (lo ...

. In 2012, the department adopted the

Smith & Wesson M&P The Smith & Wesson M&P (Military and Police) is a polymer- framed, short recoil operated, locked breech semi-automatic pistol introduced in the summer of 2005 by the American company Smith & Wesson. It uses a Browning-type locking system. Whil ...

.40S&W, which is currently being replaced by the

X-CARRY PRO in 9mm as of 2021. The P320 X-CARRY was chosen as the department's new duty sidearm after competing with the Beretta APX,

Glock Glock is a brand of polymer-Receiver (firearms), framed, Recoil operation#Short recoil operation, short recoil-operated, locked-breech semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Austrian manufacturer Glock Ges.m.b.H., Glock Ges.m.b.H. The ...

19,

, and Smith & Wesson M&P9 M2.0. The department also evaluated and is adopting the

SIG Sauer P365 The SIG Sauer P365 is a striker-fired subcompact semi-automatic pistol manufactured by SIG Sauer, intended for everyday carry. It is offered with Tritium XRAY3 Day/Night Sights and two 10-round magazines; one flush fit and the other with an ext ...

for concealed carry and/or off-duty sidearm roles.

Gallery

File:Miami Beach Police headquarters.jpg, Headquarters in Miami Beach File:mia pol.jpeg, A Beach Patrol File:mia pol 2.jpeg, Police car in Lummus Park File:Miami Beach Police - Crown Victoria.JPG, A

Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor The Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor (colloquially referred to as the CVPI, P71, or P7B) is a four-door, body-on-frame sedan that was manufactured by Ford from 1992 to 2011. It is the police car version of the Ford Crown Victoria, and wa ...

on Ocean Drive

References

{{Authority control Government of Miami Beach, Florida Municipal police departments of Florida