Dade County has recently experienced a number of significant challenges to its social and economic stability. From 1950 to 1980 Dade County's population increased from just under 500,000, 244 people per square mile, to a current population of 1,745,000, 855 people per square mile. During the same period, the ethnic mix of the community changed from 83% white, 13% black, and 4% Latin to 44% white, 17% black and 39% Latin.

Southern Florida saw a dramatic increase not only in its population but also in drug trafficking and violent crime. It is estimated that 80% of the marijuana, 70% of the cocaine, and 90% of the quaaludes smuggled into the U.S. pass through Dade County. Correspondingly, violent crimes in Southern Florida have increased from just under 6,000 in 1971 to over 17,000 in 1980, a year in which Miami experienced the nation's highest recorded murder rate--70 per 100,000 residents.

This report is part of the collection of scanned historical documents available to the public.