A hidden-camera investigation by Local 10 has put a harsh spotlight on Fort Lauderdale’s River Market shopping center, where multiple people recently released from prison say they have been spending the night under state supervision, often without basic amenities.
What the investigation documented
As reported by Local 10, hidden cameras captured several individuals sleeping in vehicles or sitting around the shopping center after dark. One man told the station he was required to remain at the site from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
The station reviewed Florida Department of Corrections paperwork that it says shows one offender was “approved to reside” in the 2400 block of North Federal Highway. Reporters also found that roughly 180 transient registered sex offenders list addresses along the same stretch of roadway.
State agency response
In a written statement to Local 10, the Florida Department of Corrections said it “did not designate a business property as an offender’s residential address” and noted that people without traditional housing sometimes stay in wooded areas or other open spaces. The Department told the station that the offender whose paperwork was reviewed has since moved to a traditional residence.
Several people interviewed by the station also said probation officers had carried out a compliance check at the shopping center earlier the same day, a detail that did not square neatly with the Department’s written statement and which the agency did not specifically address.
Mayor and property owner reaction
Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis told reporters he was blindsided by the apparent arrangement and called it “not an appropriate solution” for people reentering society. City officials said they have directed police to open discussions with the Department of Corrections about what is happening at River Market.
Local 10 repeatedly reached out to EDENS, which owns River Market. A representative returned one call and asked about the station’s reporting, but the company did not provide any further response before Local 10 published its story.
Legal and public-safety questions
Florida law requires sexual offenders to register a permanent or temporary residence and to report transient locations, and failing to follow those rules can be a felony - rules that line up directly with the paperwork and address records Local 10 examined.
The registration requirements are detailed in the Florida Statutes, Chapter 943, and the public registry maintained by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement guides address verification that probation and corrections officials rely on to enforce those laws.
What comes next
The Local 10 report leaves a trail of unresolved questions about how supervision practices, address approvals and transient-location policies resulted in a cluster of supervised individuals spending nights in a commercial corridor instead of in transitional housing.
City police and state corrections officials now face pressure to explain the paperwork, the compliance checks and whether more formal transitional housing or additional oversight will be put in place around River Market.
