| RIPTIDE | ▼ MIAMI-DADE FUEL’S GOLD P GAS PRICES ARE DOWN — BUT RESEARCHER WARNS OF HURRICANE SEASON SPIKE. BY JOSHUA CEBALLOS ulling up to the gas pump in Mi- ami in recent weeks hasn’t been as hellish a mission as it was in the past few months. Through a long summer “WHEN THERE’S A NATURAL DISASTER, PRICES GO UP BECAUSE SELLERS KNOW PEOPLE NEED GAS.” stretch, filling the tank meant taking a serious look at one’s checking account to decide whether walking to work was a better option. But over the past four weeks, gas prices have dipped below the $4-per-gallon mark, in part thanks to falling de- mand. Last month, the American Automo- bile Association (AAA) released a new survey that showed U.S. drivers are changing their habits in order to deal with rising gas prices: driving less or combining errands to conserve fuel. And a researcher at Florida International Univer- sity (FIU) says those new habits are helping to drive down prices. “We’ve been dealing with gas prices above $4 since March. After six months of that, peo- ple start to make more conscious decisions about their commutes and how much they drive, and gas stations have to lower prices to entice people back to the pump,” explains Britney Broxton, a research assistant at FIU’s Jorge M. Perez Metropolitan Center. Broxton has been tracking gas prices in Miami-Dade County since March and has created a series of infographics on social media GET MORE NEWS & COMMENTARY AT MIAMINEWTIMES.COM/NEWS ▼ MIAMI PUNCH DRUNK Hampton Inn following a night on the town and was attempting to pay for parking inside the ho- tel lobby when he ran into a problem: The auto- mated parking machine was glitching. Accompanied by a woman sporting heels A 44 and a nude bodycon dress, Sgt. Thomas Murray attempted to enter his information into the de- vice, then drilled his fist into it before taking an elevator to the parking garage, where the woman, who he later said he knew only as “Jes- sica,” exited in Murray’s unmarked police car. The scenes were captured on surveillance cameras and preserved for posterity on clips THE CASE OF THE MIAMI PD PARKING MACHINE PUNCHER. BY ALEX DELUCA round 4 a.m. on August 28, 2021, an off-duty, inebriated Miami Police De- partment (MPD) sergeant arrived at a Photo by Sippakorn Yamkasikorn/Unsplash that illustrate gas price fluctuation using data from AAA’s gas price index and the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Since 2021, gas prices have skyrocketed in the U.S., in part owing to the pandemic but also to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The February 2022 invasion severely disrupted supply chains and oil-refining operations and prompted the United States to ban Russian oil imports. Because Russia is one of the world’s largest oil producers, the ban caused a historic spike in gas prices: The national av- erage gas price in May was $4.81 — $1.62 more than the average just one year prior. In Miami-Dade County, prices at the pump reached as high as $4.64 in May but are finally tapering off. As of today, the average gas price in the county is about $3.87, just above the state’s average price of $3.75, ac- cording to AAA. Broxton explains that Miami-Dade’s gas is a Gas prices are finally starting to drop in Miami. little pricier than other parts of Florida because of low public transit ridership, higher popula- tion density, and the influx of residents with higher incomes who can afford higher prices. Still, Miami is now below the national av- erage gas price of $4.03 per gallon, and prices may continue to trend down as the summer travel season ends and kids are going back to school on public buses. However, Broxton warns that we’re not out of the woods yet. The U.S. is still import- ing far less gasoline than it was this time last year — an average of 697,000 barrels per day in late July compared to 1.043 million barrels for the same period in 2021, according to the EIA — and Florida’s hurricane season doesn’t end until the end of November. If a hurricane hits, prices may shoot back up. And if the situation in Ukraine deteriorates further, oil supplies might fall too low to meet steady demand. “When there’s a natural disaster, prices go up because sellers know people need gas in the event of a hurricane,” Broxton explains. “And if there’s an impending international event, like if things go haywire with Russia, prices may spike up as well. It really depends on uncontrollable events.” One thing Broxton insists that consumers should keep in mind is that no one thing — or one elected official — causes gas prices to go up or down, and no one solution will keep them down. A host of economic forces come together to determine the price at the pump. “People forget that many factors play into how we got where we are now, and there are no simple explanations or answers,” she asserts. recently released to New Times by the Civilian Investigative Panel (CIP), an independent board that reviews complaints of alleged police misconduct on the part of MPD. “Sergeant Murray appeared to be unsteady and braced himself against the machine with both arms. Sergeant Murray punched the screen after he attempted to pay for parking but was unable to do so,” reads the CIP’s summary of its investigation. “Approximately 5 minutes later, an un- marked police vehicle approached the auto- mated machine at the exit of the parking structure. The vehicle’s driver window lowered, and Sergeant Murray’s female companion is seen reaching out from the driver’s seat and pressing a button on the machine. The security gate opened, and the female companion drove out of the garage.” According to MPD’s internal affairs investigation, the Hampton Inn’s director of “MURRAY ADMITTED TO HAVING A FEW DRINKS EARLIER AND WAS NOT IN HIS USUAL STATE OF MIND.” safety notified Miami police of the incident and submitted an invoice for $1,432 to repair the damaged machine. MPD’s review of the surveillance footage found that the parking machine screen went white after Murray “struck it with a closed fist” and “jabbed it several times with his finger.” Internal affairs noted that “Murray admitted to having a few drinks earlier and was not in his usual state of mind. He admitted he did not use the best judgment in letting ‘Jessica’ drive his city-issued vehicle, but he stated he was not in any condition to drive. Sergeant Murray apologized, expressed remorse for his action, and advised this incident was extremely out of character for him.” Initially, the MPD referred the case to the Mi- ami-Dade State Attorney’s Office Public Corrup- tion Unit, which found probable cause to arrest Murray for criminal mischief. But an MPD officer contacted the Hampton Inn to ask whether Mur- ray could avoid prosecution by paying for the damage. When Murray wrote a check and the hotel agreed not to pursue charges, prosecutors dropped the criminal case. According to the CIP agenda for its August 16 regular meeting, Murray was hired by MPD in 2005. Prior to the August 2021 run-in with the parking machine, his record indicates one citizen complaint and two use-of-force incidents. The panel sustained the MPD’s finding of mis- conduct and improper procedure in Murray’s case. Ofc. Michael Vega, an MPD spokesperson, tells New Times that Murray received a repri- mand and a suspension of 80 hours. 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