Miami Beach mayor wants horse patrols on Ocean Drive. Will it happen for spring break?

One month before spring break crowds descend on Ocean Drive, Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber said he wants police on horseback to help patrol the area — though it’s unlikely the plan will be ready by this March.

Gelber placed a resolution on Wednesday’s commission agenda and spoke about the idea during his State of the City address Tuesday morning at Miami Beach’s New World Center.

“I believe we need to bring back horse-mounted police in this area,” Gelber said. “Yes, cops on horseback right on Ocean Drive.”

WATCH: How police officers on horseback patrol South Florida

Miami Beach police haven’t had a mounted patrol unit since 1992, when the city ditched it for financial reasons.

In an interview, Gelber said he spoke with several local police chiefs before making the proposal. Miami and Coral Gables have their own mounted patrols.

“They all seem to think it’s an effective policing tool, especially on promenades where a literal heightened presence can be very helpful,” he said.

Gelber said it’s unlikely a unit will be up and running by this year’s spring break. A spokesperson for the Miami Beach Police Department, Ernesto Rodriguez, agreed.

“Logistically for this spring break, I just don’t think it’s feasible,” Rodriguez said. “There’s just so much that would be required.”

The City Commission will discuss Wednesday whether to direct city administration to execute the plan. Then there would be several more steps, including training officers on horseback, which can take weeks.

The only way mounted patrols would appear on Ocean Drive this March is if the city brought in off-duty police and horses from another city, Gelber said.

‘Smile, we get to wake up in Miami Beach’

The mayor’s proposal underscored long-simmering tensions in South Florida’s tourist hub.

In his speech Tuesday, Gelber said business is “booming” in Miami Beach, thanks in part to record-high resort taxes that reflect the return of tourists in droves since the pandemic.

He also noted that crime is declining in the city, a statement backed by federal data.

But Gelber, whose third and final two-year term ends in November, also painted a picture of a city in flux — looking to shed its hard-partying reputation and lean into its arts and culture offerings.

His proposal to ramp up crowd-control measures on Ocean Drive speaks to residents’ fears about crime and concerns about noise and other quality of life issues, especially in South Beach, which city officials have sought to address by cracking down on non-violent offenses.

“My vision for our city has focused on strengthening our art and culture profile and upgrading our parks and green spaces,” Gelber said.

His speech centered on the capital improvements planned under a $159 million general obligation bond for arts facilities approved by voters in November, which includes funds to renovate the Byron Carlyle theater, Miami Beach Botanical Garden and The Fillmore.

Gelber admitted the city has “failed” to implement the non-binding referendum he championed and voters passed in 2021 to roll back last call for liquor sales to 2 a.m.

City commissioners have yet to agree on a plan to enact the change, and while Gelber said he plans to bring it up at an upcoming commission meeting, it won’t be in place for this year’s spring break.

“We don’t need to be Las Vegas or Bourbon Street,” Gelber said. “We are Miami Beach.”

The city has been criticized in the past for being unwelcoming — and at times violent in its police tactics — to Black tourists. In his speech, Gelber said Miami Beach needs “more police and policing” of visitors.

“The spring break type of disorder, which is not limited to just March, forces our cops to essentially police someone else’s playground,” he said. “South Beach has so many residential neighborhoods. So they need a constant and overt presence.”

Gelber’s speech touched on other challenges the city faces, too — its ongoing fight against flooding due to sea-level rise, persistent traffic problems and a need for more affordable housing.

But overall, he struck a positive tone.

“Millions of people spend months and years saving up so they can spend just a few nights in our city,” Gelber said. “Smile — you get to wake up in Miami Beach every day.”