westwood lakes (Miami, Kendall, West Miami: crime rates, homes, neighborhood)

[Alpha man]

is it bad.... As soon as I parked my car outside Manny Zamorano's West Miami-Dade home, he told me to move it closer to the house. He wanted to keep an eye out for a thief or a hit-and-run driver, like the ones he says have broken into or vandalized his cars four times in the past three years. The crimes all happened just outside Zamorano's corner-lot home in Westwood Lakes. Inside, Zamorano keeps a collection of the small plastic baggies he's found while mowing his lawn. "Crack bags," he explained. "I try to get them before my daughter sees them in our yard." Zamorano, 42, is fed up. A lifelong Miami-Dade resident, he says he has never seen such a blatant crime problem go unchecked for so long. It has gotten so bad that he carries a gun -- he has a license -- while washing his cars or doing yardwork. Zamorano's wife calls him on her way home from work so he can be waiting at the front door when she pulls up. They don't let their 9-year-old daughter outside alone. Westwood Lakes doesn't look like a bad neighborhood. It's a working-class area of one-story homes just east of the turnpike and south of Bird Road. On Tuesday evening, an ice cream truck made its way through the streets; kids played soccer in their yards. But after nightfall, Zamorano says, drug addicts walk around looking for their next fix, or for something to steal to pay for a high. The Zamoranos moved in three years ago and began noticing the crime become "steady" a year later. A neighborhood crime search on Miami-Dade County's website shows there have been 159 reported crimes in the square mile around Zamorano's home in the past six months. Most were car thefts and break-ins. Zamorano has grown frustrated by the police department's response. He knows the names and telephone numbers of the Kendall District patrol officers who respond to his 911 calls and their supervisors who follow up on his complaints. "They tell me to call 911 when I see something suspicious, but when I do, it takes them an hour to show up," complained Zamorano, a purchasing manager who works with the Federal Aviation Administration. "Is it unreasonable to expect to live in safety with your wife and daughter?" Miami-Dade police say they have stepped up efforts in response to Zamorano's complaints. Lt. Nelson Aloy ordered units to conduct surveillance in Westwood Lakes after Zamorano contacted him in January. Within a week, officers made seven arrests on drugs and outstanding warrants, he said. Police are continuing to keep a presence in the neighborhood through surveillance and open drug investigations, Aloy said. Zamorano acknowledges that proactive policing is the way to solve the problem. "What we need is more crime prevention, then there will be less crime to report," he said. The vigilance is paying off. A Miami-Dade police cruiser rolled up to Zamorano's home Tuesday evening. The uniformed officers waved Zamorano over to the car. He chatted with them for a few minutes, then he turned and smiled as he walked back toward his house. "The crackhead who lives down the street is in jail," Zamorano said. "They arrested him on burglary charges. They wanted to tell me personally."

[crisp444]

Huh? Westwood Lakes is a solidly middle class area. I would be shocked to learn that it has a high crime rate.

[tallrick]

My parents live in that area and whenever I am there I hear a lot of sirens and from time to time, gunfire. Lately I have seen a lot of police cars in the area, although many seem to be waiting by newly installed stop signs to write tickets.

[crisp444]

Originally Posted by tallrick

My parents live in that area and whenever I am there I hear a lot of sirens and from time to time, gunfire. Lately I have seen a lot of police cars in the area, although many seem to be waiting by newly installed stop signs to write tickets.

Gunfire? In Westwood Lakes? I am truly surprised by this. It seems to be such a safe and solidly middle class area. I have never lived there but I have been around there enough to comment that I never have felt unsafe, heard of a lot of crime happening there, or have even seen or heard of gang presence, etc. It's just that Westwood Lakes is MILES from the closest ghetto or even from a lower class area. I am really surprised to hear these things.

[Alpha man]

is Zamorano unreasonable

[CUBANADO]

wow..this is all news to me,i thought westwood was pretty safe

[crisp444]

^^ I think this guy just posted this article to make the Miami area seem unsafe. Other people do this too. LOL I say if a person is scared of Westwood Lakes they're not going to do well in MANY, MANY other areas of South Florida that actually have high crime rates.

[Alpha man]

chris why did Zamorano say these things if its not dangerous

[crisp444]

Maybe he just happens to always be in the wrong place at the wrong time, maybe he's unreasonably paranoid, or maybe he is exaggerating: who knows? I am just surprised by what he says because not only have I been there many times, but I have a friend who grew up there (still lives there) and has NEVER said anything that suggest that the neighborhood is anything other than safe. I told him about this and he was very surprised too.

[Alpha man]

ill try to track him down i want his phone number and adres so i can ask him.

Originally Posted by crisp444

Maybe he just happens to always be in the wrong place at the wrong time, maybe he's unreasonably paranoid, or maybe he is exaggerating: who knows? I am just surprised by what he says because not only have I been there many times, but I have a friend who grew up there (still lives there) and has NEVER said anything that suggest that the neighborhood is anything other than safe. I told him about this and he was very surprised too.