New $500,000 investment in security measures for Liberty Square Public Housing Development

(MIAMI, April 20, 2015) - Miami-Dade Public Housing and Community Development (PHCD) is addressing residents’ and community concerns about the violence around Liberty Square public housing development by investing over $500,000 in security enhancements as part of the Liberty City Rising initiative.

A substantial upgrade has been done to the existing cameras, using $170,000 of the budget allocated to security enhancements, and five additional cameras have been added throughout the site for a total of 26. These cameras are installed on 40 foot poles with remote capability and wireless transmission. They have been made vandal resistant, have high resolution, high speed, and can zoom a quarter of a mile.   

These upgrades allow for the City of Miami Police Department (MPD) and Miami-Dade Police Department to view the cameras from their police stations, vehicles, laptops and smart phones.

In addition, PHCD has dedicated over $260,000 to fund MPD off-duty police officers to patrol Liberty Square in the evenings and weekends. With the remaining $70,000, an MPD police substation will also be established at the site before the end of the year.

“Ensuring the safety of all residents is essential to building a healthy and sustainable community,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez. “This investment, which is responsive to the needs of the residents, helps create a safe environment for families residing in Liberty Square.”

“The Liberty Square residents deserve every effort on our parts to help stem the tide of violent crime plaguing their neighborhood,” Commissioner Edmonson said. “By installing these cameras, I am pleased that we are able to provide one more tool to help police and residents aid in fighting vandalism and crime.”