Why are there so many police departments in Miami-Dade County? Curious305 investigates

Editor’s Note: This article was inspired by a question submitted from a Miami Herald reader through Curious305, our community-powered reporting series that solicits questions from readers about Miami-Dade, Broward, the Florida Keys and the rest of the Sunshine State. Submit your question here or scroll down to fill out our form.

Hey, Curious305: Why are there different police departments? And why are police cars with flashing lights usually at construction sites?

When someone calls 911, it’s because they need help fast.

So if you call from Miami Beach, a Miami Beach officer responds.

Miami-Dade, which has 34 municipalities spread over more than 2,000 miles, has more than 30 city police departments. County police cover unincorporated areas.

“There are different police departments because each agency governs certain jurisdictions in which they are responsible for,” said Kiara Delva, a spokeswoman for the Miami Police Department.

Delva said, “It would not be appropriate to send an officer from across town to address the situation because chances are it will not get addressed within a reasonable time.”

The leadership of each municipality decides whether they want their own department or to contract with the county for police services. Miami Lakes and Palmetto Bay, for instance, have agreements with Miami-Dade police to cover their jurisdictions.

“It really depends on the leaders of an area,” said Alvaro Zabaleta, a spokesman for the Miami-Dade Police Department.

Cities in Miami-Dade with their own department include Coral Gables, Miami Beach, North Miami, Aventura and Doral. Some, including Homestead and Florida City, don’t have their own homicide unit and contract with the county for specific services.

While officers are responsible for covering a specific area, they can help or enforce the law outside of their jurisdiction if they witness a crime, Zabaleta said.

And what’s the reason for flashing lights at a construction site?

Officers are generally working in an off-duty capacity to make sure the area is safe. The managers of the site hire an officer — who is not on the clock — to warn people that an area may not be safe.

So that’s another example of why you may see officers outside of their jurisdictions.