Miami Gardens, Florida


Miami Gardens is a city located in north-central Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. It is 16 miles north of Downtown Miami and its boundaries stretch from I-95 and NE 2nd Avenue on the east, to NW 47th and NW 57th Avenues on the west, and from the Broward County line on the north, to 151st Street on the south. The city name comes from one of the major roadways through the area, Miami Gardens Drive. According to the 2019 estimate from the US Census Bureau, the city had a population of 110,001, and it is the largest city in Florida that has a majority African American population. It is a principal city of the Miami metropolitan area, which was home to an estimated 6,012,331 people in 2015.

History

In the wake of the construction of I-95 in the late 1960s, many middle- and upper-income African American and West Indian American families migrated from Miami neighborhoods like Liberty City to what became Miami Gardens as race-based covenants were outlawed with the Fair Housing Act, and mostly lower income blacks moved into the Liberty City and Little Haiti neighborhoods surrounding Liberty Square and Edison Courts.
Miami Gardens was incorporated on May 13, 2003. The city's neighborhoods of Andover, Bunche Park, Carol City, Lake Lucerne, Norland, Opa-locka North, and Scott Lake were previously unincorporated areas within Miami-Dade County.
In 2007, Mayor Shirley Gibson said that the city would no longer allow any low-income housing developments; many residents blamed the developments for spreading crime and recreational drugs throughout the city. Around that time, the city's tax revenues dropped to the third-lowest in Miami-Dade County.
In 2012, Oliver Gilbert, only the second mayor the city has had, proposed forming a community redevelopment agency. CRAs are formed to remove "slum and blight", to improve the physical environment of the city and to combat the social and economic problems typical of slum areas. CRAs are funded with property tax increases, which funds are used, in part, to stimulate private investment in the rehabilitation of the community.
Police misconduct against Earl Sampson, who was repeatedly questioned, detained, jailed, and/or arrested for trespassing at his own workplace, against the wishes of his boss, occurred from 2008 until roughly 2013.

Demographics

The city was incorporated in 2003, but various parts of the city appear as census designated places in the 2000 census and previous censuses. They now make up the neighborhoods of Andover, Bunche Park, Carol City, Lake Lucerne, Norwood, Opa-locka North, and Scott Lake. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the population of Miami Gardens was 112,514 on July 1, 2016, a 6.5% increase since the 2010 census.
#2010-2014 Hispanic population of Miami GardensPercentage
1Cuban43.94%
2Central American17.78%
3Puerto Rican11.96%
4South American8.25%
5Mexican3.06%

In 2010, there were 34,284 housing units of which 6.0% were vacant. As of 2016, the age distribution was 5.6% under the age of 5, 6.7% from 5 to 9, 6.5% from 10 to 14, 15.5% from 15 to 24, 14.6% from 25 to 34, 12.7% 35 to 44, 13.1% 45 to 54, 12.6% 55 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The population was 46.9% male and 53.1% female. Families made up 72% of households, while 28% were non-families. The average household size was 3.52 members, and the city covered.
As of 2000, the Bunche Park neighborhood of Miami Gardens had the ninth highest percentage of African-American and black residents in the US, with 96.5% of the populace. It also was the most Bahamian place in the United States, as well as having the highest percentage of British West Indians in the US, at 1.8% It was also home to the fifty-third highest percentage of Haitians in the US, at 2.8% of all residents
As of 2000, the Carol City section of Miami Gardens had the twenty-seventh highest percentage of Cuban residents in the US, with 18.75% of the populace. It had the nineteenth highest percentage of Jamaican residents in the US, at 5.80% and the thirty-ninth highest percentage of Dominican residents in the US, at 3% of its population. It also had the fifty-sixth most Haitians in the US, at 2.50% while it had the twentieth highest percentage of Nicaraguans, at 2.20% of all residents. The Carol City neighborhood of Miami Gardens is also home to the seventieth highest percentage of Colombian residents in the US, at 2.15% of the population.
As of 2000, before being annexed to Miami Gardens, the Andover neighborhood had English as a first language accounted for 74.96% of all residents, while Spanish accounted for 17.91%, French Creole accounted for 4.61%, French made up 1.58%, West African Niger-Congo languages were at 0.52%, and Yiddish was the mother tongue for 0.39% of the population.
As of 2000, before being annexed to Miami Gardens, the Bunche Park neighborhood had English as a first language accounted for 95.97% of all residents, while Spanish was at 3.07%, and French Creole as a mother tongue made up 0.94% of the population.
As of 2000, before being annexed to Miami Gardens, the Carol City neighborhood had English as a first language accounted for 53.73% of all residents, while Spanish accounted for 43.16%, and French Creole as a mother tongue made up 2.15% of the population.
As of 2000, before being annexed to Miami Gardens, the Lake Lucerne neighborhood had English as a first language accounted for 82.27% of all residents, while Spanish accounted for 14.16%, French Creole was at 2.55%, and French as a mother tongue made up 1.00% of the population.
As of 2000, before being annexed to Miami Gardens, the Norland neighborhood had English as a first language accounted for 74.87% of all residents, while French Creole accounted for 12.92%, Spanish was at 10.19%, and French as a mother tongue made up 1.02% of the population.
As of 2000, before being annexed to Miami Gardens, the Opa-Locka North neighborhood had English as a first language accounted for 75.24% of all residents, while Spanish was spoken by 21.04%, French Creole was at 3.27%, and Jamaican Creole as a mother tongue made up 0.44% of the population.
As of 2000, before being annexed to Miami Gardens, the Scott Lake neighborhood had English as a first language accounted for 85.76% of all residents, while 6.81% spoke Spanish, French Creole accounted for 5.83%, French was at 0.93%, and Jamaican Creole as a mother tongue made up 0.64% of the population.

Crime rates

According to City Rating, Miami Gardens crime statistics have decreased in the past 13 years. The crimes that have decreased the most are property crimes and violent crimes. The crime rate for Miami Gardens for 2018 is expected to be lower than in 2016. Miami Garden's 2016 violent crime rate was 63.64% higher than the national violent crime rate, and the property crime rate was 30.99% higher than the national property crime rate.
In 2016, Miami Gardens' violent crime rate was higher than that in Florida by 50.99%, and the property crime rate was 19.49% higher.
In 2016, there were 432 reported cases of aggravated assault, 22 reported cases of arson, 509 reported cases of burglary, 24 cases of forcible rape, 2,743 cases of larceny and theft, 419 reported cases of motor vehicle theft, 22 reported cases of murder and manslaughter, and 265 cases of robbery.
The projected 2018 crime data is as follows: 286 reported cases of aggravated assault, 26 reported cases of arson, 435 reported cases of burglary, 7 cases reported of forcible rape, 2,139 cases reported of larceny and theft, 205 cases reported of motor vehicle theft, 18 reported cases of murder and manslaughter, and 102 reported cases of robbery.

Sports facilities

The Calder Race Course opened in 1971.
Miami Gardens is home to the Miami Dolphins, who play in Hard Rock Stadium on land that was part of the Lake Lucerne CDP. This stadium also hosts the annual Orange Bowl college football game, and is the home field for the University of Miami Hurricanes football team. The Miami Open tennis tournament is held on the grounds of the stadium. The Florida Marlins Major League Baseball team shared Hard Rock Stadium with the Dolphins for almost two decades until, in 2012, they relocated to Miami and changed their name to the Miami Marlins.

Health

Medical

The city of Miami Gardens has several health care clinics and facilities that offer medical care and support to its residents. Although the city has no hospital directly within its limits, Jackson North Medical Center, Concentra Urgent Care, and, Chen Medical Center provide medical services to the residents of Miami Gardens. Supplementing this, several health care clinics and facilities provide medical services that include general medicine, walk-in/urgent care, dental services, gynecology, physical therapy, chiropractor services, laboratory tests, x-rays, sonograms, osteoporosis screening, vaccinations, and health and exercise programs.

Government

Miami Gardens is governed by a seven-member city council. Members include Mayor Oliver Gilbert, and six council members, four elected from districts and two elected citywide. The mayor recommends – and the city council hires – the City Manager, City Attorney, and City Clerk.
These are 17 of the many departments for which the City Manager of Miami Gardens creates a budget.
#DepartmentCity Manager's Budget 2017–2018
1Legislative Department$969,411
2Office of City Manager$1,434,310
3Office of City Manager Public Affairs Office$3,922,843
4Office of City Clerk$450,730
5Finance Department$1,109,545
6Human Resources Department$1,076,395
7Office of the City Attorney$589,165
8Planning and Zoning Office$782,854
9Public Safety Department Police Administration Division$30,891,829
10Public Safety Police School Crossing Guard Program Division$483,407
11Public Safety Department Police Investigations Division$67,000
12Public Safety Police Operations Division$43,800
13Public Safety Police Support Services Division$265,003
14Public Safety Cops Grant$1,146,231
15Public Safety Cops III$1,190,853
15Public Safety Cops IV$1,050,309
16Code Compliance Division$1,441,100
17Parks & Recreation Department Recreation Division$2,268,224

Mayors

The Miami Gardens Police Department is the lead law enforcement agency for the 110,000 residents living within the city's. The department operates under a unified command structure with its headquarters located at 1020 NW 163 Drive, Miami Gardens, Florida 33169. The department became operational on Sunday, December 16, 2007 with 159 sworn officers. Since then, the department has grown to 259 members consisting of 201 sworn positions with 58 non-sworn support positions.

Police controversy

In 2013, law enforcement abuses were alleged regarding the Miami Gardens Police Department by several news outlets. The abuses were first uncovered when it became public that a convenience store employee, Earl Sampson was arrested 27 times for trespassing, while working at and around the store at which he was employed. Video evidence was gathered by the owner of the store, Ali Saleh, showing Miami Garden police involved in clear and repeated misconduct involving his employee, and customers. According to the Miami Heralds Julie K. Brown: "The videos show, among other things, cops stopping citizens, questioning them, aggressively searching them and arresting them for trespassing when they have permission to be on the premises". It appeared Sampson had been arrested in this way due to police quotas, a department culture, and that Sampson was easy to arrest. Sampson always pleaded guilty so they would let him out almost immediately, with one exception where he pleaded not guilty, and he was jailed for 20 days. The guilty plea would validate the officers' improper arrest and increment their quota, so he became a continuous target.

Volume of stops

It was reported that, between 2008 and 2013, 99,980 stops occurred in Miami Gardens, involving 56,922 people, over half of the city's population. In the City of Miami, 3,753 stops occurred during the same period, with four times the population. Some stops involved children aged 5 to 7, totaling more than 1,000 children. These numbers were compiled after news regarding Earl Sampson.

Resignation and lawsuits

Following these reports, the Police Chief resigned.
Civil rights lawsuits have been filed against the Miami Gardens Police Department by the store owner and others who were illegally detained and/or arrested.
A police officer filed a lawsuit claiming that he had been fired for reporting abuses.

Education

Public schools

operates area public schools.
#Miami Gardens' elementary schools2012 school grade
1Brentwood Elementary SchoolC
2Bunche Park Elementary SchoolA
3Norwood Elementary SchoolB
4North County Elementary SchoolC
5Skyway Elementary SchoolC
6Parkway Elementary SchoolC

#Miami Gardens' middle schools2012 school grade
1North Dade Middle SchoolA
2Lake Stevens Middle SchoolC
3Parkway Middle SchoolD
4Carol City Middle SchoolD

Norland Middle School, in the Miami Gardens area, has a magnet program in dance, music, theatre and art, which began in 1985. The young actors Alex R. Hibbert and Jaden Piner, who starred in the Oscar-winning film Moonlight, were trained at this school.
#Miami Gardens' K–8 schools
1North County K–8 Center-

#Miami Gardens' high schools2012 school grade and graduation rates
1Miami Carol City Senior High SchoolF, with a 62% graduation rate
2Miami Norland Senior High SchoolB, with 89% graduation rate

Private schools

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami operates area Catholic schools. Monsignor Edward Pace High School is in the Miami Gardens city limits. The archdiocese formerly operated Saint Monica School in Miami Gardens.

Colleges and universities

operates the North Dade Regional Library, which opened in September 1979.

Notable residents