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On Christmas Eve in Liberty Square, Dorian Hinkson stabbed his neighbor to death in front of his wife and kids — a tragic crime that kneecapped Miami’s oldest housing project, highlighting not only cops’ inability to stem the violence but also an expensive and elaborate camera surveillance system’s failure to help Arthur or prevent the dozen drive-by shootings that have recently peppered the project.
Even more tragically, Phillip Arthur’s senseless death came at the hands of a man who is obviously mentally ill and should have received treatment long ago. Neighbors in Pork n’ Beans tell New Times they had complained repeatedly to housing officials about the alleged killer. No one responded, and like most other Liberty Square residents, Arthur and his family were powerless to move away.
“There’s no protection for us. Police don’t care, the tenant council don’t care,” says Yvette Norton, who has lived in a building facing Arthur’s unit for almost five years. “It’s just a bad situation, but none of us can get out of here.”
Read our full report on Arthur’s murder and it’s implications for the troubled Liberty Square projects here or in New Times on the stands this week.
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Follow Miami New Times on Facebook and Twitter @MiamiNewTimes. Tim Elfrink writes about politics, crime and South Florida insanity @timelfrinkmia.
