Miami Gardens Police Chief, 'We Want A Safer Community'
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MIAMI GARDENS (CBSMiami) – Since Father's Day there has been a wave of shootings in Miami Gardens that have claimed four lives.
On Monday the Miami Gardens Chief of Police, who's been on the job a year, said the most recent shootings were not random acts of violence but that the victims had some connection to their attackers
"The community is standing with me. We want a safer community," said Chief Delma Noel-Pratt
Noel-Pratt said they are stepping up patrols and getting help from other law enforcement.
"We are encouraging the community to call in tips," she said.
In fact, such a tip led to the arrest of Jamal Bethel, who was charged with shooting a man outside the Family Dollar store on Northwest 27th Avenue last Thursday.
Bethel went before a judge Monday and is being held on $50,000 bond.
The family of aspiring rap artist Stephen Campbell, who was murdered Saturday, is hoping a tip will help capture his killer.
"I'm hurt. Someone took my son's life," said his mother, Lutrana Graham. "His son is being born in August. He was waiting for his son to get here."
Campbell's family says the aspiring rap artist known as Scratchez was getting traction on SoundCloud.
He and a friend were gunned down in the 2700 block of Northwest 167th Street while sitting in their car.
Police say a man in the back seat pulled the trigger and fled.
"We believe the shooter had a linkage to the victims," said Noel-Pratt.
The chief won't say what the link was in that double homicide, nor the other two slayings since Father's Day.
Anyone with information is asked to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.
