The Liberty Square housing project in Miami’s Liberty City neighborhood is one of the deadliest places in the City of Miami.
This year, in and around the housing project, 43 people have been shot. Seven of them died.
On Thursday night, Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, Miami Commissioner Keon Hardemon, Miami-Dade County Commissioner Audrey Edmonson and other local officials listened as residents shared their frustrations about the crime.
About 60 Liberty Square residents and concerned activists attended the town hall at the housing project better known as the Pork 'N' Beans.
“I see a whole bunch of cameras around there. A whole bunch of them,” said resident Jone William-Botherford. “They say the cameras ain’t working."
Brotherford said when crimes happen; the dozens of cameras placed around the housing project rarely capture footage because they’re broken.
Sarah Smith, president of the resident council, said residents are often accused of not identifying the young men who commit the murders.
That’s because they’re dodging the bullets, she said.
“Most of the time we’re on the floor. We can’t watch while somebody is getting killed. We can always walk out and see the aftermath, which is never pretty. All types of children laying on the ground dead.”
Maria Williams said the housing project's dangerous reputation means her special-needs daughter's school bus won't pull into the project to pick her up. She said the bus driver fears she would be putting other children on the bus in danger if a shooting breaks out.
The City of Miami and Miami-Dade County police departments recently formed a partnership to better tackle crime in Liberty City.
Congresswoman Wilson, who grew up in Liberty City, looked into the crowd of mostly women and said she wanted to have a one-on-one session with the men and teenage boys who are doing the shootings.
“So that I can direct them to the proper job training and opportunities so I can take the weapons out of their hand,” she said.
Wilson said two things could improve the neighborhood's condition long term: a stronger education system and jobs.
