Miami Beach cop union president gives his opinion on stopping liquor sales at 2 a.m.

Proponents of halting liquor sales on South Beach’s Ocean Drive at 2 a.m. claim it’s a way to kneecap Miami Beach crime, particularly south of 41st Street.

The head of the union representing Miami Beach police officers, Miami Beach Fraternal Order of Police President Bobby Jenkins, disagreed in a statement released Tuesday morning.

“The ordinance proposed to ban liquor sales on Ocean Drive at 2 a.m. is another example of how our City’s leadership has failed to have meaningful conversations with our law enforcement officer around the issues that are actually driving the illicit behavior and criminal activity on the strip,” Jenkins staement began.

“Our experience patrolling South Beach on the nightly basis tells us that other allowances, such as the decriminalization of marijuana and access to liquor stores until 5 a.m., are directly responsible for creating the anything goes environment that we are currently experiencing. This effort to ban liquor sales on Ocean Drive is not only misguided, but will prove to be ineffective and an economic blow to the city.”

Miami Beach voters will decide the ordinance’s fate in early voting, which began last week, and Election Day, Nov. 7.