Police admit tracking rap stars

Police in Miami and Miami Beach have acknowledged that they follow, photograph and otherwise track rap stars who visit their communities, an admission that has intensified protests from the music sector that it is unfairly harassed by law enforcement.

In a report this week in the Miami Herald, law enforcement officials in South Florida were quoted as saying that they have proactive operations to track rappers who visit, work or vacation in the area, which has become a hub for the genre’s stars. The efforts include interviewing hotel and nightclub staffers for tidbits about patrons, photographing rappers on arrival at Miami International Airport and staking out music video shoots. These operations are generally not part of specific investigations, officials say, but are broad efforts to gather intelligence.

“We have to keep an eye on these rivalries,” said Charles Press, assistant police chief in Miami Beach. “The last thing we need in this city is violence.” The report drew an angry response from within the music genre and concerned criticism from some advocates of civil liberties.

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Geoff Boucher