WFCN –
In Miami, employees from the county meticulously searched Miami International Airport on Wednesday to locate and transfer individuals residing there without authorization.
Last Saturday’s attack on a 17-year-old homeless girl brought attention to a conflict that impacts the airport’s reputation, the ease of travelers, and a fragile community striving to assimilate.
Outreach teams were dispatched by the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust to provide assistance.
“We are a community that shows concern for the most vulnerable, the marginalized, the neglected, and the overlooked, and we will not rest until we have provided shelter and housing for each and every one of them,” stated Ron Book, the chairman of the trust.
The trust’s members provide assistance and refuge to individuals who rely on the airport as their long-term residence. The team advanced towards 21 individuals who were recognized as residents of the airport. Nevertheless, only four individuals were granted accommodation at the shelter.
“If you don’t, you’re crossing the line,” Book stated. Our objective is to ensure clarity: It is imperative that we relocate you to a safe haven. It is imperative that we relocate you to a more favorable environment.
An aggressive assault in Terminal J prompted Book’s team to initiate a fresh and focused communication campaign.
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According to Miami-Dade Police, Alexander Love, aged 29, attacked a teenager with a butcher knife on Saturday, stabbing them 18 times in a sudden and unexplained act of violence. The airport was a familiar place for both the assailant and the target. Before the stabbing incident, the Trust’s members provided assistance to Love, who had relocated from Ohio to Miami, according to Book.
A group of outreach workers is familiar with around twenty-four individuals who reside at the airport, going against a county regulation that mandates individuals spending the night at MIA to possess valid travel arrangements or business purposes.
Personnel at the airport, along with security and police officers, collaborate to identify individuals who are violating regulations, seeking assistance from the Homeless Trust before implementing measures to enforce trespassing laws.
In reaction to the stabbing incident, the trust’s members initiated a proactive and vigorous outreach campaign on Wednesday.
“Quite frankly, that is not the image we desire for our top airport,” expressed Book. Secondly, we aim for individuals to experience a sense of ease upon visiting our airport, regardless of whether they are arriving travelers or departing members of our community. Our duty is to ensure people experience a sense of ease.
Book announced that his team will be heading back to the airport on Thursday, Friday, and in the days to come to persuade those who are hesitant to move to accept assistance.