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The Republican Rosie Cordero-Stutz was sworn in this Tuesday as the sheriff of Miami-Dade, a position that was elected in November for the first time in the last 60 years.
Cordero-Stutz, who served as deputy director of research services for the County Police Department, took on her new position in a ceremony held at the Justice School of Miami Dade College.
"I am deeply honored by the trust placed in me to embark on this new chapter in our community. Thank you to all the voters of our diverse and vibrant community for placing their confidence in me to lead the law enforcement efforts of our county and protect our community," she said.
The official recalled that during her 28 years in the Police Department, she worked for the well-being of the community and is now ready to use that experience to ensure that every part of Miami-Dade not only feels safe but is safe.
"Our mission to protect and serve transcends politics," he stated, adding that the county must continue to be "a place where families feel safe, businesses thrive, and all residents have the opportunity to prosper."
Cordero-Stutz had confirmed to Local 10 News following her victory in the November elections that her new office would have a new name: the Miami-Dade Police Department will now be the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office. The transformation will include new decals for the patrol cars, uniforms, and business cards.
"The first and most important thing is to ensure that we have the proper budget to serve this community from day one," he said.
At that time, he also revealed that his first task would be to increase the number of uniformed officers on the streets, address corruption among elected leaders, and restructure and expand the Miami-Dade Traffic Unit.
In the November elections, Rosie Cordero-Stutz defeated the Democrat James Reyes, a Cuban immigrant who served as the county's Director of Public Safety. It was the first time in 60 years that the position was put to a vote, and the citizens chose to place a woman at the head of the police institution.
The loser, a Cuban son of a political prisoner whose family emigrated to the United States in the 1970s, grew up in Miami and built his law enforcement career over 25 years in the Broward County Sheriff's Office.
Supported by Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, he recounted that Miami-Dade is the place that gave him and his family freedom and the opportunity in the American dream, "after we fled the dangers of communism and made a new home in Hialeah."
The position of sheriff returned to Miami-Dade following the approval of Amendment 10 in 2018, which allows for the direct election of this role in counties where it had been eliminated or absorbed by other governmental structures.
In Miami-Dade, the police have been under the mayor's control since 1966, when voters abolished the position following several corruption scandals.
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