Miami Springs police chief, who grew up there, wants locals to know their cops’ names

One month into his new job as Miami Springs police chief, Matthew Castillo has stepped up traffic enforcement, relocated a police substation and launched a citywide neighborhood watch program.

“When I was growing up, all the children from the neighborhood knew all the police officers by first name,” said Castillo, 41, a lifelong Miami Springs resident. “I want to bring that back.”

He recalled how officer Danny Kelly played drums in a rock-n-roll band on weekends at the now-defunct Hurricane Bar. Or how “nightmare in your rear view mirror” motorman, Don Mazzone, a prolific ticket writer with a brawny New York accent, who would rev his Corvette and pose for photos at local car shows.

Long retired, Kelly and Mazzone have been replaced by a younger cohort.

Small-town feeling

Miami Springs is a three-square-mile town, population 13,859, north of Miami International Airport. Founded in 1926, by aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss, it has been dubbed “Mayberry” by its leaders because it exudes small-town charm.

Castillo knows about this. He graduated from Miami Springs High School in 2001 and is a graduate of Florida International University. He and his wife Lisandra are raising their two children in Miami Springs.

At Wednesday’s inaugural Miami Springs Block Watch program, Castillo embraced that small-town feeling when he introduced officers by their first names. Block Watch is a crime-fighting program tailored for Miami Springs and is not affiliated with Citizens’ Crime Watch of Miami-Dade.

“This initiative reflects our commitment to building stronger ties with residents and ensuring our police department remains a visible, accessible and supportive presence in Miami Springs,” Castillo said.

Moves to slow speeders

When some locals complained about speeders, Castillo said an enhanced motorcycle detail is forthcoming.

School zone cameras also will be installed soon, Castillo said. This is pursuant to HB 657, which beefed up enforcement of school zone speed limits and became law in 2023. Speeders in these zones may receive a citation in the mail.

Substation moves to senior center

The Community Police Substation, at 274 Westward Drive, has been relocated to the Miami Springs Senior Center, 101 Apache St., Castillo announced. He credited Senior Center manager Tammy Key for the idea, and said the move will allow officers to engage more with the community.

Known as the “CPO,” the sub-station is housed inside the senior center’s Bryan Avila room, and it will be staffed on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The room was named after District 39 Sen. Bryan Avila, a Miami Springs resident, who for years has championed funding for the senior center, which has its a gym and offers exercise classes, social activities and meals.

Castillo oversees 66 employees, which includes 48 sworn officers, 14 civilians and four crossing guards. He has proposed a budget of $8,725,531, a 9.73 percent increase over last year’s budget of $7,915,880, according to city records.

Started as public service aide

Castillo got his start on the force as a public service aide 16 years ago. He rose to lieutenant before being named police chief in December.

In his first week as chief, Miami Springs police reported the arrest of three teens wandering in an alley at 2:30 a.m. near the city’s pool. The teens, one 14, and two 15, had run away from a mental health facility in Hialeah, the police report said.

The arrests solved 18 local car burglaries cases, including auto theft and car burglary cases on Miami Beach.

Miami Springs police credit a “vigilant” resident for reporting suspicious activity, in what Castillo hopes serves as harbinger for neighbors to join in.

“I have zero tolerance for crime in Miami Springs” said Castillo.

For more information on Miami Springs Block Watch, and other programs, visit: Police