All of the questions that are being asked about the Miami Gardens Police Department are good ones and anyone who is looking to transfer to another agency should ask these questions and more. Though some of the responses to the questions are inaccurate, though I have to give credit to FLPD698, he has been sharing quite a bit of accurate information. I would like give you some input from a position of knowledge.
As far as the City of Miami Gardens and their tax rate is concerned, it is NOT one of the highest in Miami-Dade County as stated, though it has recently been raised to 5.14 from 3.63. To give you an accurate comparison, the City of Miami's millage (tax) rate is 8.37, Opa Locka's is 9.80, Homestead's is 6.25, Miami Shores is 8.25 and Avenutura's is 2.27. Don't take my word for it; if you would like more information on the tax rates of other Miami Dade County Cities access this link http://www.miamidade.gov/pa/forms/mill2006adopted.pdf .
The City of Miami Gardens has put together one of, if not the best benefits, salary and incentives packages that I have ever seen in the State of Florida. This was done with one thing in mind, and that was to attract and RETAIN the very best police officers to the City.
Many of the postings aren't very flattering about the city, but from what I have experienced, the City Manager, his staff, the City Council and citizens I have come in contact with have done nothing but shown me respect and impressed me. I have sat in on countless other City Commission meetings and have never been as impressed with others as I have been with the Miami Gardens City Council. They are the most cohesive group of professional elected officials I have ever met. Coming from a major city "Fort Lauderdale", this says something.
This City Council are the people who agreed to the benefits and salary package for the "Pioneer Officers", before they ever met them. Keep in mind, this benefits package was put together without a bargaining unit. I don’t think the council wants to have a police force that can be controlled; I think they have a genuine interest in having their own force of officers who will be committed to their citizens. They want to have the best police force in the State of Florida and are willing to pay their officers accordingly.
For some of the people who write the, not so nice comments about the City of Miami Gardens, everyone should understand that the City of Miami Gardens was a part of the unincorporated area of Miami-Dade County that was predominantly black and was not treated as fairly as it should have been by elected and government officials, before they were a city. This has changed; since they became their own city in 2003; the redevelopment in the City of Miami Gardens is the third greatest amount of any city in the county. There certainly is room for improvement in the City and it is being made.
I believe that the City of Miami Gardens’ Police Department is destined to be the best led, managed, supported and compensated department in the State of Florida. But what do I know; I am leaving the largest municipal police agency in Broward County to be a part of it. recruiter@MiamiGardensPolice.org email www.MiamiGardensPolice.org web site
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As a 26 year employee of the Miami Police Department I can recall all of the bad press that we endured for many years. Some of it was undeserved and much of it was based on facts.
Even with the "nice" affluent areas in the city, Miami still remains one of the largest and poorest "major" cities in the nation.
Over that past 10 years the police department has single-handedly revived this city from its ashes. We went from having a bond rating which was in the cellar to a vibrant city with a significantly reduced crime rate and record breaking major construction occurring in all parts of the city.
Suddenly people feel safer and willing to invest and move into the City of Miami. We have done a tremendous job which has gone unrecognized and unrewarded by the city fathers and the police department has been without a contract for 14 months.
Over the past several months, I have heard many negative comments about Miami Gardens which come from short sighted persons. Over the past few weeks, Miami Gardens has repeatedly been in the news for violent crime.
This can be turned around and if the city commission is as impressive as the command staff that has been assembled, it won’t take 10 years.
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