MIAMI — Miami-Dade Public Housing and Community Development (PHCD) is addressing residents’ and community concerns about the violence around Liberty Square public housing development by investing over $500,000 in security enhancements as part of the Liberty City Rising initiative.

A substantial upgrade has been done to the existing cameras, using $170,000 of the budget allocated to security enhancements, and five additional cameras have been added throughout the site for a total of 26. These cameras are installed on 40-foot poles with remote capability and wireless transmission. They have been made vandal resistant, have high resolution, high speed, and can zoom a quarter of a mile.

These upgrades allow for the City of Miami Police Department (MPD) and Miami-Dade Police Department to view the cameras from their police stations, vehicles, laptops and smart phones.

In addition, PHCD has dedicated over $260,000 to fund MPD off-duty police officers to patrol Liberty Square in the evenings and weekends. With the remaining $70,000, an MPD police substation will also be established at the site before the end of the year.

“Ensuring the safety of all residents is essential to building a healthy and sustainable community,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez. “This investment, which is responsive to the needs of the residents, helps create a safe environment for families residing in Liberty Square.”

“The Liberty Square residents deserve every effort on our parts to help stem the tide of violent crime plaguing their neighborhood,” Miami-Dade Commissioner Audrey Edmonson said. “By installing these cameras, I am pleased that we are able to provide one more tool to help police and residents aid in fighting vandalism and crime.”