MIAMI – For the first time in more than 50 years, Miami-Dade’s law enforcement office will be led by a sheriff.
Tuesday morning, Rosie Cordero-Stutz took the oath of office to become the county’s top cop for the next four years. She made history as the county’s first Hispanic female sheriff.
“Today, as we close the Miami-Dade Police Department, we recognize the department’s commitment to protect our community for the past 60 years, adapting to changes, understanding our rich diversity and committed to protecting, to protect and to defend those core values that make Miami-Dade uniquely unique. As a new sheriff of Miami Dade, I will build on that history, implement needed reform swiftly, make certain every corner of this county is safe, and establish an office of the sheriff that reflects, and honors, the hard work, sacrifice, integrity and principles of the great people I’ve been entrusted to serve and protect,” Cordero-Stutz said after being sworn in.
Last November, Cordero-Stutz defeated Democratic nominee James Reyes for the position. Before winning the election, she worked her way up from street cop serving in top positions in several divisions over a career spanning 28 years.
On the night of her landmark win, Cordero-Stutz said one of her priorities when she leads the force will be to reassign more officers to patrol to increase their presence on the streets because it reduces crime and helps with the traffic flow.
Along with a new sheriff, the name of the county’s law enforcement agency will change to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office. The Miami-Dade Police Department will no longer exist.
In Florida, the elected sheriff oversees law enforcement, jail operations, court security and legal processes, and appoints deputies, acting as the county’s top law enforcement official.
The last elected sheriff in Miami-Dade, Talmadge A. Buchanan, was removed amid corruption allegations in the 1960s, leading voters to abolish the elected position. For nearly 60 years, the county has operated with an appointed police director.
Sheriff Cordero-Stutz will not answer to the mayor and will be independent while leading the county’s 3,200 sworn officers and managing a $1.2 billion budget.
