Cohort 2023

Beyond the Bars

The Intersection of Policing and Gentrification in Miami Gardens

Miami Gardens, FL

Empowered by tough-on-crime legislation, local governments have since the 1960s and 1970s supplemented their shrinking budgets by targeting politically disempowered residents with development-directed policing, focusing activity on areas with real estate market growth. In line with research indicating that gentrification spurs increased police presence, some Miami-Dade County residents in neighborhoods where redevelopment is being pursued have reported that policing has become increasingly aggressive, creating fear of displacement and police contact. In addition, revenue-generating police practices, such as civil asset forfeiture and ticketing, have contributed to an estimated 45 percent of people, and 60 percent of Black people, in Miami reporting that they have an immediate family member who has been incarcerated. 

Beyond the Bars (BTB) and the University of Miami believe ending mass incarceration requires eliminating this economic dependence on criminalization. BTB is an organization of formerly incarcerated people and their families that focuses on the political and economic empowerment of their community. Their partners at the University of Miami research the intersection of health and the criminal legal system. With Catalyst Grant funding, BTB and the University of Miami will investigate racialized policing practices in North Miami, examining how neighborhoods with high rates of arrests overlap with community redevelopment areas, areas the local government has identified as “blighted” and in need of revitalization. During this project, BTB and the University of Miami plan to map arrest data, identify displacement patterns, and determine the amount of revenue generated from specific policing practices. To gain a clearer picture of the ramifications for residents, they will also survey and hold focus groups with residents to understand the effects of policing on their psychological, financial, and physical health. This project will support BTB’s ultimate goal of deploying strategic interventions that target the economic policies and accompanying police practices that perpetuate mass incarceration.