Miami-Dade Police Cruiser Vandalized
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - A Miami-Dade police officer's patrol car was vandalized overnight.
On a Facebook page Thursday night, a woman posted a picture of the cruiser with a big hole in its shattered rear window outside the officer's home in Miami Springs.
"This happened in OUR city, tonight, between 9:30-10. This vehicle was parked, minding its business. This shows the level of hate in our community," states part of the post next to the picture.It went on to say "I dare this coward to meet with me and explain why he felt the need to commit this hate crime, in OUR beautiful city. If they can hate and do this, what else are they capable of?"
"Only a coward does something like that," said Roslyn Buckner, the mother in law of the officer.
Buckner is also a retired Miami-Dade Cop. Much of the family is in law enforcement. She's fuming that someone would go after her family and brother and sisters in uniform.
"Why are you singling out anybody that wears a uniform," said Buckner. "We're the first one who comes to you when you have a problem because we're going to help you. I don't understand it."
This is not the first time a Miami-Dade cruiser has been vandalized this year.
In March, two police cars within a block of each other were set on fire in northeast Miami-Dade. Around the same time, two police cars were shot at in Cutler Bay and Perrine. No arrests have been made in those incidents.
All of this comes amid growing racial tension nationwide between police and some members of the public.
Incidents like this prompted 20-year Miami-Dade police veteran Lydia Marquez to post a heartfelt Facebook video.
"When I kiss my children in the morning before I go to work and tell them I love them, I don't know if I'm going to be coming back at the end of the day, especially now a days," said Marquez in the video.
She said, like any profession there are some bad apples in the bunch but most are dedicated men and women who wear a badge that's colorblind.
"It's hard. It's really hard but I'm here.Why? Because I care. All lives matter. Everyone's life matters," said Marquez in the video.
Click here to see the full video.
