The rainbow police car

Wilton Manors is known as South Florida's LGBT capital and the second gayest city in the US. The island city next to Fort Lauderdale has a large population of gays and lesbians who walk hand in hand along Wilton Drive or while dining out along the strip. Whenever I visit a close friend there and pull into the city limits,  it's as if there is a giant rainbow hovering over this part of Broward county. The rainbow flag sails mightily in front of storefronts, bars and people's homes.

So it's not a complete surprise to learn that the Wilton Manors Police Department has resdesigned one of its patrol cars to reflect the large LGBT community it serves. It's the police department's way of showing its pride with this new ride.

I wrote a story about the patrol car, decorated with large rainbows on each side, for the Sun Sentinel. The rear of the car reads "Policing with Pride."

The car is a 2013 Ford Interceptor and officers will feature it at community events such as Pride Fort Lauderdale and the annual Wilton Manors Stonewall Parade and Street Festival.  There has been a spirited debate on Facebook among people celebrating the police department's community outreach with the colorful car while others wondering whether this was a good use of funds. Below is a photo of the car featured in the Sun Sentinel.

Miami Beach also has a patrol car with "POLICE" decorated in rainbow hues. The Ford Crown Victoria is used at community events such as the annual Miami Beach Pride festivities on Ocean Drive.. (Photo below from Miami Beach PD)

And three years ago, the Orlando Police Department also unveiled a police car with a rainbow-hued heart to honor the 49 people who were fatally shot during the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting. The police car was called No. 49. The names were listed on the back window and hood. Photo below from Orlando Sentinel.

5 reasons for Miami and Fort Lauderdale's high HIV rates

Miami and Fort Lauderdale have led the nation in new HIV infections over the years. It's no surprise to locals who see giant billboards along I-95, bus ads and public service announcements on TV urging folks to get tested and treated. We also have the AIDS walk and other fundraisers and social events that promote safe sex, HIV awareness and the importance of PrEP.

But why does South Florida lead the nation in HIV compared to other states?  I reached out to some medical experts and HIV advocates in the region and wrote up a story in the Sun Sentinel that listed five reasons why HIV is rampant here.

"Some people have been around others who are infected for so long that they realize the disease is chronic and not the death sentence it was in the '80s so they have lost their fear of getting infected,''s said Claudette Grant, director of clinical services for Broward Health Community Health Services in Fort Lauderdale.

"We have so much HIV here in South Florida that the odds are that much higher a partner would have HIV,'' said Dr. Stephen Fallon of Latinos Salud, a Wilton Manors-based nonprofit that works with Latino gay men. "And, much more critically, we have so many people living with HIV who are either not in care, or not taking their medicines as prescribed."

There are more reasons but the five that I mentioned in the story are the ones that came up the most during my interviews.