'Crime pays' for Police Department

By Bari Auerbach

The Sunny Isles Beach City Commission recently authorized Police Chief Fred Maas to expend $50,000 from the Federal Forfeiture Fund in accordance with the Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984.

At the Feb. 19 City Commission meeting, it was explained the expenditure of partial forfeiture funds will be used to build a secure and stable law enforcement computer networking preparing the Sunny Isles Beach Police Department for the purchase of an enhance law enforcement software package. The software will enable officers to share criminal intelligence and data with surrounding agencies, internal officers as well as
employees within the city.

"We're dealing with funds obtained by the city's Police Department through their efforts and seizures from illegal activities that resulted in funding," Mayor Norman Edelcup explained. "So sometimes, when you say 'crime doesn't pay,' it may not pay for the criminals but it's paying for the [Police Department's] computer system.We certainly don't mind spending some of the [forfeiture funds] to upgrade our systems to give us an even finer police force than we currently have. We certainly have the best right now so it can only get better."

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