Regulated Industries Illegal Activities Business Sting Operations

About the Program

Category: Criminal Justice and Public Safety (Best in Category)

Year: 2010

The Miami-Dade County Consumer Services Department, Consumer Protection Division is responsible for regulating the moving, locksmith and motor vehicle repair industries. In an effort to effectively prosecute unlicensed business activities, the department developed and implemented a “Regulated Industries Illegal Business Activities Sting Operations Program.” The objective of the program was to identify businesses and individuals that were violating Miami-Dade County Code by working without the required licenses or not adhering to other industry standards regulated by the Consumer Services Department. The outcome of the sting operations were measured by analyzing Clerk of Courts records regarding the legal outcome of each citation issued and by researching departmental databases to identify the once unregistered businesses as legally registered to conduct business. Based on information gathered from unregistered business practices in the targeted industries, the program has been highly successful during this first year of implementation. Since the inception of the program in February 2009, Consumer Protection Division has identified a total of eighteen unregistered businesses, including six locksmith businesses, eight moving businesses and four motor vehicle repair facilities.