Miami Police Department
Miami Police Department | |
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Chief of Police | |
Districts | 3 |
Facilities | |
Stations | Miami Police Headquarters (Central Station), South District Station, North District Station |
Website | |
Miami Police |
The Miami Police Department (MPD), also known as the City of Miami Police Department, is a full-service municipal law enforcement agency serving Miami, Florida, United States. MPD is the largest municipal police department in Florida. MPD officers are distinguishable from their Miami-Dade Police Department counterparts by their blue uniforms and blue-and-white patrol vehicles.
MPD operates the Miami Police College, which houses three schools: The Police Academy Class (PAC), The School for Professional Development (SPD), and the International Policing Institute (IPI), a program focused on training law enforcement personnel from countries outside of the United States.[2]
History
In its early years, the MPD enacted an oppressive racial system in Miami.[3][4][5] The MPD did not protect the black community from violence, as well as aided in the harassment and terrorization of the black population.[3] The MPD intimidated black voters, pursued blacks on flimsy evidence, and strongly enforced certain laws solely when blacks were in violation of them.[3] The MPD tacitly approved of or failed to investigate instances of white supremacist violence in Miami by terrorist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan.[3]
In 1986 reporting on corruption scandals in the MPD, the New York Times wrote of the MPD that "corruption charges are not new" to the department.[6] In 2018, the Miami New Times wrote, "Miami cops have a storied history of getting caught committing the very crimes they are supposed to police."[7]
Jorge Colina became MPD Chief of Police in 2018.[8] In March 2021, Art Acevedo became Miami Police Department chief. Prior to this role, he served as the chief of police in Houston.[9] Art Acevedo was fired on October 14, 2021[10]
Civil rights investigations by U.S. Department of Justice
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) investigated the Miami Police Department twice, once beginning in 2002 and once from 2011–2013.[11][12]
The investigation by
To address the issues it identified, the city negotiated a judicially overseen agreement with the DOJ.[14][15][13] Former Chief Miguel A. Exposito rejected the DOJ findings, which he called flawed.[16][17]
A comprehensive settlement agreement between the DOJ and the City of Miami was reached in February 2016; under the agreement, the police department was obligated to take specific steps to reduce the number of officer-involved shootings (through enhanced training and supervision) and to "more effectively and quickly investigate officer-involved shootings that do occur" (through improvements to the internal investigation process and tighter rules for when an officer who shoots may return to work).[18] Jane Castor, the former police chief of Tampa, Florida, was appointed as the independent monitor to oversee the city's compliance with the reforms.[18]
Controversy over shooting an unarmed suspect
On December 10, 2013, at approximately 0530 hours, 22 police officers surrounded a suspect from an earlier shooting (police officer shot by suspect) and a second uninvolved person. Police ordered the men to put their hands up and then fired over 50 rounds into the car. Witnesses reported police continued to order the men to raise their hands and when they did fired more rounds into the car. In total 22 police officers fired more than 377 rounds hitting the car, other cars, adjacent buildings, their fellow police officers. The gunfire from the police was sufficient that some officers suffered ruptured eardrums. Witnesses reported that after killing the two men, some of the police were laughing.[19]
Controversy over officer arrest
On October 11, 2011, MPD Officer Fausto Lopez was speeding and driving erratically when he was caught by Florida Highway Patrol trooper Donna Jane Watts, after a 7-minute chase, with the video going viral on
Controversy over shooting unarmed motorist
On February 11, 2011, Miami Police killed an unarmed motorist during a traffic stop and wounded another person in the car. Prosecutors declined to prosecute as they did not think they could say it was provable beyond a reasonable doubt that Miami Officer Reynaldo Goyos could have thought the driver was reaching for a weapon.[23]
Retaliation against officers who expose wrongdoing
The Miami Community Police Benevolent Association (MCPBA), the city's Black police officers' union, has criticized the MPD for what it says is a culture of retaliation against police officers who blow the whistle on wrongdoing by fellow MPD officers.[24]
Controversial detention of African American COVID-19 doctor
In April 2020, a Miami Police Sergeant generated controversy by handcuffing and detaining African American doctor Armen Henderson, who was assigned to treat homeless people for COVID-19, outside his home after receiving complaints that people were dumping trash in the area where he was working.[25][26] Allegations soon surfaced that the matter in which Henderson was handcuffed and detained was in fact a case of racial profiling.[27] The Miami Police Department eventually agreed to launch an internal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the handcuffing and detention of Henderson.[28][26]
Organizational structure
MPD follows a paramilitary organizational structure and is headed by the Chief of Police. The Deputy Chief of Police reports directly to the Chief and oversees the three major operational divisions of the agency, each of which is led by an Assistant Chief: Field Operations Division, Criminal Investigations Division, and Administration Division. The Internal Affairs Section, Professional Compliance Section, and Public Information Office report directly to the Chief of Police.
MPD is composed of more than 70 organizational elements, including a full-time SWAT team, Bomb Squad, Mounted Patrol, Marine Patrol, Aviation Unit, Gang Unit, Police Athletic League Detail, Crime Gun Intelligence Center, and a Real Time Crime Center. With 1371 full-time sworn positions and more than 400 civilian positions.[29]
Districts
Miami is divided into three policing districts, which are in turn divided into thirteen neighborhoods:[30]
- North District
- Liberty City (Model City)
- Little Haiti
- Upper Eastside
- Central District
- Allapattah
- Overtown
- Wynwood
- Edgewater
- Downtown
- South District
- Flagami
- Little Havana
- Coral Way
- Coconut Grove
- Brickell/Roads
Ranks and insignia
Title | Insignia |
---|---|
Chief of Police
|
|
Deputy Chief
|
|
Assistant Chief
|
|
Major | |
Commander | |
Executive Officer
|
|
Senior Sergeant-At-Arms | |
Sergeant-At-Arms | |
Captain | |
Lieutenant | |
Sergeant
|
|
Police Officer
|
Rank insignias for sergeants are worn on the upper sleeves below the shoulder patch while rank insignias for lieutenant through chief are worn on the shirt collar.
Demographics
Over the years, the demographics of full-time sworn personnel were:
Year | Percentage of full-time sworn personnel | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Female | Male | African American or Black | American Indian | Asian/Pacific Islander | Hispanic, any race | White, non-Hispanic | Other race | |
1993[31] | 15.6 | 84.4 | 23.7 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 47.7 | 28.2 | — |
1997[32] | 18 | 82 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 53 | 20 | — |
2000[33] | 18 | 82 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 54 | 19 | 1 |
Sidearm
Miami Police Officers are issued the
See also
References
- ^ Sullivan, Carl; Baranauckas, Carla (June 26, 2020). "Here's how much money goes to police departments in largest cities across the U.S." USA Today. Archived from the original on July 14, 2020.
- ^ "Miami Police College Brochure" (PDF). Miami Police Department. April 10, 2019.
- ^ JSTOR 30151006.
- JSTOR 44955672.
- JSTOR 30148998.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
- ^ O'Connor, Meg (October 24, 2018). "Miami Cops Getting Busted on Federal Drug Charges Isn't New". Miami New Times. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
- ^ Rabin, Charles (January 17, 2018). "Miami's next police chief is a veteran with a goal to reduce gun violence". Miami Herald. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
- ^ Napoli, Tierra Smith, Daniela Sternitzky-Di (March 15, 2021). "Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo leaving post for new job as Miami Police Chief". KPRC. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Miami Police Chief Art Acevedo officially removed | Miami Herald". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on October 15, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Justice Department Releases Investigative Findings on the City of Miami Police Department and Officer-involved Shootings". U.S. Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs. July 9, 2013.
- ^ Findings Letter re: Investigation of City of Miami Police Department, U.S. Department of Justice (July 9, 2013).
- ^ a b c Goode, Erica (July 10, 2013). "Miami Police Department Is Accused of Pattern of Excessive Force". The New York Times. Retrieved July 10, 2013.
- ^ "Fallout Begins From DOJ Investigation Of Miami Police". CBS Miami. July 9, 2013.
- ^ Weaver, Jay; McGrory, Kathleen; Ovalle, David (July 9, 2013). "Justice Department finds Miami Police used excessive force in shootings". Miami Herald. Retrieved July 10, 2013.
- ^ "Letter facsimile" (PDF). media.miamiherald.com. August 8, 2013.
- ^ "Exposito Wants Senate Investigation of DOJ Report on MPD Shootings". CBS Miami. August 13, 2013.
- ^ a b "Justice Department Reaches Agreement with the City of Miami and the Miami Police Department to Implement Reforms on Officer-Involved Shootings". U.S. Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs. February 25, 2016.
- ^ Friedersdorf, Conor (May 8, 2014). "23 Police Officers Fire 377 Bullets at Two Men With Zero Guns". The Atlantic. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
- ^ https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/fhp-trooper-donna-watts-last-stand/
- ^ Hardigree, Matt (November 3, 2011). "Cops in Florida ready to fight each other over traffic stop". Jalopnik - Drive Free or Die. Gawker Media. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
- Sun-Sentinel. Tribune Publishing. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
- ^ https://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/state--regional/prosecutors-clear-miami-officer-shooting-unarmed-motorist/f7vnRSnESWLt2Rj5GOVRRO/ [bare URL]
- ^ Cardona, Joshua Ceballos, Alexi C. (November 12, 2020). "Fired Detective Alleges Widespread Corruption at Miami Police Department". Miami New Times. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Miami police investigating detainment [sic] of doctor at his home | Miami Herald". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on April 13, 2020.
- ^ a b "Police chief orders probe in handcuffing of black Miami doctor on front lines of coronavirus fight". ABC News. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
- ^ "Who Is Dr. Henderson? Black Doctor Testing Homeless For Coronavirus Is Latest To Be Racially Profiled". NewsOne. April 14, 2020. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
- ^ "Miami Fiscal Year 2020 Operating Budget" (PDF). April 10, 2019. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
- ^ "Miami Police Department". www.miami-police.org. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
- ^ Reaves, Brian A.; Smith, Pheny Z. (September 1995). "Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics, 1993: Data for Individual State and Local Agencies with 100 or More Officers" (PDF). Bureau of Justice Statistics. p. 54. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 1, 2004.
- ^ Reaves, Brian A.; Goldberg, Andrew L. (April 1999). "Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics, 1997: Data for Individual State and Local Agencies with 100 or More Officers" (PDF). Bureau of Justice Statistics. p. 44. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 1, 2004.
- ^ Reaves, Brian A.; Hickman, Matthew J. (March 2004). "Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics, 2000: Data for Individual State and Local Agencies with 100 or More Officers" (PDF). Bureau of Justice Statistics. p. 47. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 16, 2012.
- ^ "Gun Review: The Timeless Smith & Wesson M&P Revolver". October 14, 2014.
- ^ "Report Raises Concern About Glock Handguns « CBS Miami". Miami.cbslocal.com. May 13, 2013. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
- ^ Fritsch, Jane (May 31, 1992). "Gun of Choice for Police Officers Runs Into Fierce Opposition". The New York Times.
Sources
- This article incorporates public domain material from Justice Department Releases Investigative Findings on the City of Miami Police Department and Officer-involved Shootings. United States Department of Justice.