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Jul 4, 2008 7:32 pm US/Eastern

North Miami Is Nearing A Record Year For Crime

Click Here To View FBI Crime Statistics For South Florida Cities

NORTH MIAMI (CBS4) ―

A 17-year-old youngster has recently become the tenth homicide victim since the beginning of the year in North Miami, and his 17-year-old friend was charged with manslaughter after a gun went off in their car.

Before that, on June 22nd, a North Miami cab driver became the ninth victim.
When North Miami police were dispatched to investigate gunfire in the area of Northeast 134th Street and Northeast 4th Avenue on that early morning in June,  they discovered that the cab driver, 36-year old Failex Jean-Pierre, was shot several times.

Witnesses told police the cab smashed into a parked red SUV before it slammed into a tree. 

Residents have now begun to express their frustration and concern about their safety.

"We are not safe. We are not safe in this area," resident Claudine Desir told CBS4 Reporter Peter D'Oench.  

North Miami police said this time last year, there had been only two murders. Investigators added that many of this year's deaths had been drug related.

Police said a few of the crimes are random. In at least eight of the city's homicides, the victims knew their attackers. 

Lt. Neal Cuevas of North Miami Police Department added, "We think the public by and large does not have anything to worry about, because of the connections between the attackers and the victims."

As many as four of the homicides were drug related.  Regardless, neighbors explained the sharp increase in homicides has left too many people grieving.

Budget contraints have put an limit on police patrols, though the city is cooperating in a number of task forces working in areas such as illegal drug activity.

Residents can only hope the homicide rate does not surpass 1984,  a record year in which 14 people were killed.

According to FBI statistics, police departments in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Coral Springs, Hialeah, Hollywood and Miramar all reported more homicides in 2007 compared to 2006; most also reported an increased number of rapes and robberies. 

Click Here to view the report.

(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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