DORAL, FLA. (WSVN) - The Miami-Dade Police Department will soon transition into the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, marking the first time in decades that the county will have an elected sheriff. This election has drawn a long list of Republican contenders vying for the county’s top law enforcement position.
Ignacio Alvarez is one of the Republican candidates. A former major of the Miami-Dade Police’s Special Victims Unit, Alvarez retired and founded his own law firm, where he currently practices law.
“This job is so important that we get it right,” Alvarez said. “I am the one with the real-life experience; I am the only one that was a police officer for over 25 years, the last eight as a major.”
Another candidate, Jose Aragu, a current Miami-Dade Police major, said that what sets him apart from the field is his strong résumé and education.
“For the first time in 60 years, we’re going to have an opportunity as a community to separate politics from law enforcement,” Aragu stated. “I am a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government in public policy. I am a graduate of the Naval Academy in leadership, and I am also a graduate from [Florida International University], and I have a master’s in emergency management.”
Rosanna Cordero-Stutz, who has served with the Miami-Dade Police Department for 27 years, is also in the race. She said she’s ready for the transition from the police department to sheriff’s office and vows to not let politics get in the way of the department’s job.
“I have been a police officer all my life with the Miami-Dade Police Department. I’ve worked every inch of this department,” Cordero-Stutz said. “Safety and security are squarely on the shoulders of the sheriff, and I will make all my decisions based on the needs of my citizens for their safety and security.”
Ruamen DelaRua, who began his career with the Miami Police in the 1980s, spent 26 years at the Marion County Sheriff’s Office in North Central Florida, where he retired as a district commander.
“I’m the only candidate that has the experience of a deputy sheriff in all those fields,” DelaRua remarked. “When I was a police explorer, I started back at the age of 14, and I’ve committed my life to the safety and well-being of our citizens.”
Mario Knapp, a retired Miami-Dade Police major, is another candidate in the race. He has worked for the department for 27 years in various units, overseeing bomb squad, K-9 and marine patrol units.
“This is the time to set the standard, to set the foundation for public safety in Miami-Dade County,” Knapp said. “If you look around the country — you look at Chicago, you look at Philadelphia, you look at California — we live in a society right now where there’s no more consequences for crimes.”
Jeffrey Giordano, a 27-year veteran of the Miami Police, served as a hostage negotiator, undercover officer, detective and public information officer. He aims to keep the new office free from political influence.
“As sheriff of Miami-Dade County, we’re going to be responsible for the people,” Giordano said. “As long as we do that and work together, the unity we can bring to this community is going to be tenfold of what it is now.”
These candidates represent only half of the Republican field.
Early voting is underway in Miami-Dade County, and the primary is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 20.
For more information on early voting locations and hours, visit the Miami-Dade County Elections Department website.
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