West Miami police report low January crime totals, warn 42‑second wheel-and-tire thefts; residents press traffic and parking fixes

Officer Eric Alvarez and other City of West Miami police officers presented January 2025 crime statistics and crime‑prevention advice at a community town hall meeting, and showed surveillance video of thieves removing four wheels from a parked car in roughly 42 seconds. Residents used the meeting to press the city and police on speeding, parking near stores and near Sylvania Elementary, and enforcement at a recurring commercial parking problem at Frank's Fruit.

The police presentation opened with basic January totals. "So far we've had 0 robberies and 0 auto thefts in the city of West Miami. 3 fraud cases, 4 thefts," Officer Eric Alvarez said, noting the largest single category that month was reports of suspicious persons or vehicles (43). The department said its typical response time averages 2 to 4 minutes for dispatched calls.

The meeting featured a short video of a theft captured inside a home showing suspects lifting a car onto bricks and removing all four wheels. "This video is only 42 seconds long," Officer Alvarez said as he introduced the clip. Chief of Police Pete Delgado added that suspects often obscure faces and swap license plates, limiting the utility of facial‑recognition and plate checks: "They're all hooded up. ... they have a mask on. So even if even if we were able to capture their faces, because we do have facial recognition abilities here, there's no way you can make who that who that is."

Officers gave prevention tips: track delivery notifications, use secure drop locations or lockboxes for packages, use wheel locks and park closer to homes or off the swale, install motion lights and cameras, and register home alarms with the police department to shorten response steps. The department also urged residents to file a watch order before leaving town so officers will check properties on patrol.

Several residents raised traffic and parking problems across the city. Officers described current enforcement steps and tools: residential parking placards for nearby shopping centers, increased motor‑unit patrols, ticketing for illegal commercial parking, and coordination with building managers at apartment complexes to limit Ubers and delivery vehicles from stopping in travel lanes. "The direct number, our dispatcher is 24 hours a day ... (305) 266-0530," Officer Alvarez said for non‑emergencies; callers were reminded that emergencies should still go to 911.

Residents requested more enforcement in specific locations, including 60th/16th avenues, 50th/12th near the school, Ninth Street near the Una Vista vans, and the area in front of Frank's Fruit where trucks and customers sometimes block the street. Officers said the motor units would increase presence at problem spots on a rotating basis rather than station a vehicle in one place all day. Major David Valencia — the department traffic lead — was identified by staff as the contact for traffic complaints; officers asked residents to press option 2 in the station phone menu to reach him so the traffic unit can be dispatched.

Vice Mayor Natalie Milian Orbis said a city resolution she sponsored established a quarterly crime‑watch ("scribe watch") meeting and announced the first quarterly meeting will be April 10. "April 10 will be the first scribe watch meeting of the year," she said, inviting follow up and saying officials would try to return with answers to items raised at the town hall.

The meeting closed with officers and city leaders encouraging residents to report suspicious activity promptly rather than waiting weeks, to use the department's watch‑order service when away, and to register alarms with police for faster response. No formal votes or ordinances were taken at the session.

Ending: The police department said it will return at follow‑up meetings (including the April 10 scribe watch meeting) with quarterly crime reports and will continue targeted motor‑unit enforcement at the resident‑identified hot spots while staff coordinate longer‑term traffic engineering solutions with county and state partners.