Miami gets a new police chief. Here are the 3 things he’ll do first | Editorial
The Miami Police Department has a new police chief. No surprise this time.
Unlike the naming of former Chief Art Acevedo, whose controversial appointment last year came out of the blue like a bolt of lightning — thanks to Miami Mayor Francis Suarez’s whims — and crashed just as dramatically six months later with his firing, the new chief, Manny Morales, has been leading the department since October.
Former Assistant Police Chief Morales had been a strong finalist for the top job a year ago, but was passed over when Acevedo was secretly recruited by Suarez. On Tuesday, Morales was named chief with little fanfare by City Manager Art Noriega.
“I’m a low-key kind of guy,” Morales told the Editorial Board hours after being named. “I won’t seek out the spotlight.”
As far as he’s concerned, Morales said, he’s been on the job for five months.
“When I was first named interim chief, I didn’t pay attention to the word ‘interim,’ “ Morales told the Board. “From day one, I took charge and worked to improve the department.”
Since taking over, Morales has undone several of the demotions and firings that Acevedo executed, leading to a jump in morale in the 1,300 member department, he hopes.
The Editorial Board asked Morales what his top three immediate priorities will be:
- Reduce gun violence and make Miami a safe, happy city for residents in every neighborhood.
- Undo the internal departmental damage that he says Acevedo did. The former chief’s divide-and-conquer attitude, “was a testing time for all of us,” Morales said. Morales said he is working to unify the rank and file.
- Guarantee that the Miami police department will be one where its officers will act respectfully and constitutionally when dealing with the public. There will be no room for incivility or disrespect, externally or internally. Good move, but we also hope Morales acknowledges the need to remove chronically bad officers from the streets and, if necessary, the force itself. Morales has risen through the ranks here. He knows who they are.
That would be a giant step for a department that spent several years under federal oversight due to the fatal shootings of unarmed Black suspects before monitoring ended last year.
Morales’ appointment brings some much needed stability to the department. This community should welcome him and wish him luck.
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This story was originally published March 1, 2022 at 9:01 PM.