Police Make Big Busts In Effort To Clean Miami Streets
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- Law enforcement took charge with a major morning bust and a mission to clean up the streets of Miami.
Several arrests were made Thursday morning, including a prostitution ring and car burglaries.
"Prostitution is a big concern in this area within the past few years. That is why we are taking a proactive approach, so it does not continue to happen," said Miami Police Officer Freddie Cruz.
The City of Miami police hit the streets in a full-scale operation targeting all crimes in the area of Flagami from S.W. 8th Street to South River Drive, and 27th Avenue to 72nd Avenue.
It's being called "Operation Cleanup."
"I think it's great, much-needed. I mean, crime has taken arise, even little things that may seem insignificant to others," said Alixsa Rodriguez, who had her car broken Thursday morning outside her home on S.W. 54th Street and 1st Avenue.
Within minutes, police said they arrested 18-year-old Manuel Camacho.
"Our officer saw an individual with a backpack. They stopped him and noticed he had a lot of items. He was questioned and confessed to eight vehicle break-ins," said Ofc. Cruz.
Rodriguez said it isn't the theft that's shocking but the intimate encroachment into her life.
"I really didn't have anything valuable in the car. It was the simple fact of my privacy has been violated because he stepped foot onto my property and that was enough," Rodriguez said.
That is exactly what the City of Miami police are hoping for -- avoid the crime before it happens.
"We don't want people to call 911 when needed. We want to be proactive and take the effort to eliminate the crime, take care of it, not put a band-aid and eliminate it for the future."
