Protect PBSA Kids: Fund Security at Franjo Park

Hello, I am a member of the Board of Directors at Perrine Baseball and Softball Association Inc. (known as PBSA). PBSA is a local non-profit youth Baseball & Softball Organization providing a safe place for kids to play ball in Cutler Bay, FL for 63 years at Franjo Park. During the past 63 years, PBSA has encountered many changes, from the development of new neighborhoods around the park, surviving Hurricane Andrew, the start of a new local government, surviving Hurricane Irma which led to a 2-year-long rebuilding of the whole facility, and Covid-19 shutdowns. Through all that, PBSA has provided a safe place for our youth to play ball. Franjo Park is a second home to many members of our community and a place where memories and lifelong friendships have been made. However, on Monday, October 21, 2024, during a 9U baseball game, gunshots rang out at the bottom of the 5th inning and forever altered the lives of the players, coaches, umpires, staff, friends, and family. For almost 2 minutes, our baseball family was exposed to a shooting 100 feet from the baseball park entrance that left 150 bullet casings on the ground.

The safety of the PBSA families is of the utmost importance; right now PBSA families do not feel safe in Franjo Park. PBSA is facing the possibility of teams quitting midseason or ending the season early for some teams due to the emotional and mental well-being of the PBSA families. Security and safety are desperately needed to help these families feel safe again. Baseball and softball are more than throwing, catching, and hitting a ball; the sport teaches so many important lessons from self-esteem to teamwork.

PBSA desperately wants to provide security through a private security company or the Miami Dade Police Department during practice and games to help keep PBSA families safe. Baseball is played 6 days a week during a 10-month timeframe; the cost of a hired security company or police is approximately $10,000 a month, which is a total of $100,000 a year. PBSA asked the Town of Cutler Bay to provide police during these times. The Town of Cutler Bay responded that it will only provide a police presence at Franjo Park this Friday, Saturday & Sunday. The Town's position is that PBSA is responsible for the expense of securing police presence at Franjo Park beyond Sunday and that PBSA is responsible for keeping kids in Franjo Park safe from outside threats and violence which the Town has notice of. As a non-profit, this is not something PBSA can afford, and the added expense to the budget will be reflected in the registration fee. PBSA fears that the increase in registration will push teams to other organizations where the registration fee is lower and PBSA families will be forced to play ball in other parks that are not part of their community.

There are videos posted on social media that show the violence and horror that PBSA families went through. One video shows the players running off the field and the other video shows the shooter pulling into the parking lot, backing up to pull back out while opening fire for a second time. The videos are heartbreaking to watch and listen to, and I do not recommend watching them. What you will not see in the videos are the coaches and umpires running into the dugouts to cover the players as they run off the field, the players who are in the batting cages watching the shooting with nowhere to take cover for safety, and coaches laying on top of the players shielding them from the gunfire, or the brave men that ran to the area that the gunshots came from to create a human wall to stop anyone from coming into the park without a care for their safety.

PBSA wants to do whatever it can to protect the members of the organization and for them to feel safe and get back to playing ball in their park! Please help us protect our beloved FRANJO PARK!!!