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City of Sunny Isles Beach <br />18070 Collins Avenue <br />Sunny Isles Beach, Florida 33160 <br />(305) 947-0606 City Hall <br />(305) 949-3113 Fax <br />MEMORANDUM <br />TO: Honorable Mayor and City Commissioners <br />FROM: Fabiola Stuyvesant, Commissioner <br />DATE: September 18, 2025 <br />RE: Direction to the City Manager to Evaluate the Feasibility of Creating an <br />Economic Crimes Unit in the City's Police Department <br />RECOMMENDATION: <br />This resolution is presented foryour consideration. <br />REASONS: <br />This initiative aims to direct staff to establish or enhance a specialized unit focused on investigating <br />condo and HOA fraud, emphasizing how such crimes disproportionately impact seniors (who often face <br />financial exploitation in fixed-income situations) and the international community (vulnerable due to <br />language barriers and unfamiliarity with local laws), thereby strengthening public safety and trust in <br />residential associations. Given that at least 97% of residential units in Sunny Isles Beach are part of <br />HOAs or condominiums, residents are uniquely exposed to these risks; the State of Florida, including <br />the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), has failed to provide adequate <br />protection due to DBPR's limited enforcement authority, which focuses on administrative rather than <br />criminal matters and lacks the "teeth" to prosecute fraud effectively, often leaving victims to bear costly <br />legal burdens. With the City's incredible taxpayer -funded budget, Sunny Isles Beach can afford to offer <br />this vital service to those who need it most; the outdated excuse that "there is nothing we can do" is no <br />longer acceptable, as it is untrue and local leadership is both possible and imperative. <br />ATTACHMENTS: <br />Resolution <br />Item Number: 92 <br />676 <br />