DORAL, FLA. (WSVN) - Thirteen months since Miami-Dade elected its first sheriff, Rosie Cordero-Stutz said the county has been a safer place during that time.
Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz sat down with 7News on Monday to discuss various topics, including her tenure and two recent deputy-involved shootings.
She said that under her watch, crime is trending downwards.
“A 20% reduction in murders from the previous year to this year, a decrease in shootings across this county,” said Cordero-Stutz. “The mission of changing the culture internally and outwardly has been a key piece for me for this first year.”
One major change that has occurred in the name of transparency, the sheriff said, has been the release of body camera footage after fatal deputy-involved shootings.
“This is new, and it was also done under our leadership,” she said.
The most recent case happened during an early morning raid when a man walked into his living room with a gun in his hand as deputies were looking for his brother.
“When an individual is holding a gun, waiting for them to point it at you is not the right time to protect yourself or anyone else’s life,” said Cordero-Stutz.
This past weekend, another deputy-involved shooting took place where, the sheriff said, deputies attempted to de-escalate the situation.
“Unfortunately, the individual did not allow for that to happen, and our deputy did have to take action to save the life of another deputy,” said Cordero-Stutz.
According to deputies, a woman wielding a knife was tased, shot and killed.
“Down the line, that video will come out, and we will be able to report exactly how it happened,” said Cordero-Stutz.
In addition to releasing bodycam footage, the sheriff has launched an online crime data dashboard so residents can see the statistics.
“These are all steps that I’ve taken to build that trust with our community,” said Cordero-Stutz.
She said her department is now also offering new programs for deputies in crisis.
“We’ve taken great steps to make it a safe place to say, ‘Hey, I need help,'” said Cordero-Stutz.
The actions come as several deputies have ended up in handcuffs in relation to domestic violence charges over the past year.
Preparation and planning have also been a huge task on the sheriff’s shoulders.
Big events ahead this year include the World Cup, the G20 Summit, the midterm elections and keeping an eye on instability in Cuba.
“Can I tell you that we have been planning for some major event in the island of Cuba since I came on in 1996?” said Cordero-Stutz.
She said planning for these key events will continue to evolve as the department works with federal partners.
Overall, the sheriff said, her department’s theme is safety, security and service.
“Make sure that we are keeping our community safe through our proactive enforcement and response, secure that we are watching trends and getting ahead of them, and service, that we hold ourselves accountable, but that we do so in a way that is always professional to the community,” said Cordero-Stutz.
Currently, the sheriff oversees 4,800 employees, including 3,200 deputies.
For more information on the crime database, click here.
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