Jun 30, 2006 6:31 pm US/Eastern
Groups Claim Police Discrimination In Hip Hop Week
About 1,010 Arrests Were Made This Year
Groups Claim This Is Unfair
by Evan Bacon
MIAMI BEACH (CBS4 News) ―
The NAACP and the ACLU held a news conference Friday to announce concern over the spike in the number of arrests in South Beach this Memorial Day Weekend.
The weekend is known for thousands of hip hop fans attending dozens of events held at night clubs and other venues throughout the beach. The group is concerned because an estimated 1,010 people were arrested in mass arrests by the Miami Beach Police Department this year, marking a 300% increase over the same weekend in 2005.
In recent years there have been meetings between police, city officials and promoters to ensure that that the increased police presence does not transform into racial profiling or other clashes between officers and citizens.
Though the weekend is not organized by one particular organizer, the NAACP is concerned that the City of Miami Beach is sending a message to promoters and partygoers that they are not welcome in the city.
Here is an excerpt from the city's response to Friday's press conference:
"Memorial Day holiday weekend has drawn thousands of visitors to the City without any official, organized event(s) since 2001. While there was an increase in the total number of arrests over 2005 (77%), a review of the arrest statistics demonstrate that the type of arrests in 2006 were closely proportionate to the type of arrests made last year. Additionally, no major violent incidents (shootings, stabbing, etc) were reported in Miami Beach this year."
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