Miami Beach is poised to hire the city’s first Black police chief
Miami Beach Deputy Chief of Police Wayne Jones is poised to become the city’s next police chief later this year and the first Black chief in the city’s 108-year history.
City Manager Alina Hudak announced the appointment Monday, writing in a memo that Jones, a 27-year veteran of the department, was the “right person at the right time” for the job.
If approved by the City Commission on July 26, Jones would begin the role September 1. Chief Richard Clements, who is retiring, would stay on as an adviser during the transition period until Oct. 31, Hudak said.
“Throughout the interview process, members of the command staff consistently expressed their support and respect for [Jones] in his role as Deputy Chief and potential future role,” Hudak said. “I believe strongly in the value of longevity, tradition and commitment.”
Jones began his career with the department and rose from patrol officer to detective, sergeant, lieutenant, captain and major. In 2019, he was sworn in as deputy chief — the department’s second-in-command — on the same day Clements became chief. Jones previously had led the Criminal Investigations Division.
Clements has been with the Miami Beach Police Department for more than 30 years.
In May, the city’s Black Affairs Advisory Committee recommended Jones for the chief position, lauding his record dating to 1996 and his role in the creation of a “Goodwill Ambassador Program,” in which volunteers assist the police.
As a major, Jones also established the department’s human trafficking unit, Hudak said.
Lots of concern about crime among residents
Jones’ appointment comes at a moment of intense focus on crime among Miami Beach residents, particularly in South Beach, even as the city’s crime rate has declined overall. Public safety has been cited as one of the top priorities for several candidates running for mayor in November, when Mayor Dan Gelber will be term-limited.
The move also follows years of scrutiny and critique over the police department’s treatment of Black people in a city where just 4.7% of residents are Black, according to U.S. Census data.
In 2021, five Miami Beach officers were arrested for using excessive force on a Black man in handcuffs and for pummeling a Black bystander who was recording the incident.
The city also faced criticism for enacting an ordinance that disproportionately targeted Black visitors who made video recordings of police.
That law was enacted as part of a series of tough-on-crime measures following an unruly spring break in 2021.
Police and city leaders have continued to grapple with how to keep people safe and manage large crowds of young, mostly Black visitors in March after a pair of deadly shootings this year on Ocean Drive.
