Miami Sheriff Criticizes GTA 6 for Romanticizing Crime in Vice City Setting

Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz has voiced strong opposition to plans aimed at turning the city into a real-life version of Grand Theft Auto 6’s Vice City. She highlighted that the “fictional world” depicted in the game includes serious issues like murder, robbery, drug trafficking, carjacking, and violence against law enforcement, all of which her department strives to combat daily.

Recently uncovered through a public records request, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava proposed a collaboration with Rockstar Games in June, dubbed “GTA VI× MDC.” This proposal outlines various ways to incorporate Miami, referred to as the “real-world inspiration for Vice City,” using “approved GTA VI characters or visual references.” Among the intriguing ideas is the Vice City Motor Fest, which aims to blend classic cars, customized vehicles, lowriders, motorcycles, tropical graphics, and local entertainment in a family-friendly environment.

Despite a spokesperson for the mayor indicating that the collaboration has not yet been “formally agreed to or approved,” Sheriff Cordero-Stutz has raised concerns about the marketing initiative. She stated, “Grand Theft Auto is a video game franchise built around criminal activity. Its fictional world includes murder, robbery, drug trafficking, carjacking, violence against law enforcement, and other conduct that the men and women of the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office work every single day to prevent.”

In a joint statement with Miami-Dade Commissioner Juan Carlos Bermudez, who may run against Mayor Levine Cava in 2028, Sheriff Cordero-Stutz emphasized the importance of Miami-Dade’s reputation. Bermudez remarked, “Miami-Dade County has spent decades building a reputation as a world-class destination for tourism, business, investment, and opportunity. We should be promoting the Miami-Dade we have worked so hard to build, not a fictional version of our community defined by crime and violence.”