MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, 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 elect a sheriff. The position has attracted a long list of Republican contenders seeking to become the county’s new top law enforcement official.
Alex Fornet, owner of a credit repair business and a former Miami-Dade Police officer, wants to change the culture of policing in the county.
“The county has the ability to finally elect a sheriff who’s going to make the tough choices and do the things that need to be done,” Fornet said. “They’ll going be proud to work for me. Other departments will want to move to Miami-Dade County because they’ll see someone who actually loves what they do, loves the people they work with and loves our community.”
Joe Martinez, a former Miami-Dade Commissioner, highlights his experience as an elected official in managing the transition.
“These few four months and then the following years are extremely crucial in shaping what the office of the sheriff will be,” Martinez stated. “You also have the political know how. You need to have the political know-how to navigate county government.”
John Rivera, who worked at the department for 43 years and was a long-serving president of its police union, promises that politics will not influence the new office.
“This department’s morale is horrible, and they need a leader that they can count on,” Rivera said. “My first foremost concern is the safety of the officers and citizens. Politicians will certainly have a factor, but they are not going to run the police department.”
Ernesto Rodriguez, a current lieutenant with the county’s Agricultural and Environmental Crimes Unit who has been with MDPD since 1987, wants to get Miami-Dade “back on track.”
“For me, this is not just a job; this is a calling,” Rodriguez expressed. “The troops they have lost confidence in our command staff; they’re demoralized.”
Joe Sanchez, a former Miami Commissioner and current officer with the Florida Highway Patrol, promises to bring change, leveraging his outsider status.
“I see the people running for the sheriff’s position are from the Miami-Dade Police Department that want to maintain the same status quo,” Sanchez said. “I certainly believe that an outsider like me can make things much better because I don’t owe anyone anything in that department.”
These candidates represent the rest of the Republican field. On Thursday, 7News will profile the Democratic candidates who are also running for Miami-Dade Sheriff.
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.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.