To the Officer.com forum posters.
First off, don’t let the demographics of the City of Miami Gardens convince you that it can not support, or does not deserve its own police department of positive distinction. This is in no way an attempt to cast disparaging words or innuendo against the fine men and women of the Miami Dade Police Department who currently commit themselves to the City of Miami Gardens.
You, along with every law enforcement officer in the State, should be proud to see a municipality offer a fair and equitable salary, along with an outstanding benefits and salary package. I suggest you take it to your collective bargaining unit and ask them to use it as a blueprint for future benefits for you and your friends.
As far as the number of officers hired by the MGPD in comparison to Miami Dade Police Department:
You are right; the initial complement of officers will be just shy of what MDPD has assigned to Miami Gardens. This will change, with the addition of 30 officers within 3 years. Your question about specialized services:Currently the City of Miami Gardens pays about $7 million to Miami-Dade County for administrative fees and specialized units. We just happen to be the only city in Miami-Dade County who has to pay this high amount. This is in addition to approximately $19 million for general police services. When you do the math, you’ll see that the City of Miami Gardens already pays approximately $26 million for police services. This is more than enough to pay for its own police department.
Your statement about being able to maintain the great salaries shows that you are able to identify some good in what is happening in our city:
The City of Miami Gardens will be able to maintain its officer’s salaries just like your current agency maintains your great salary, through municipal taxes, which are paid into the general fund, along with other revenue generating means. By the way Dolphin stadium is in the City of Miami Gardens and they pay taxes, along with Calder Race Track, the businesses along 826, 441, property owners within the corporate limits of our city.You do not have to have high taxes to sustain a city, as I live in the City of Coconut Creek and my City’s millage rate is currently slightly higher than the City of Miami Gardens. Very few cities in South Florida are experiencing financial difficulties as a result of consistent growth in property values. The City of Miami Gardens is no different.
On the vehicles:
The average lifespan for personally assigned cars is 5 to 6 years, not the 2 to 4 that you quoted. And the maintenance is a regular budgeted function of government, which we will sustain.
I could go on and on responding to your negative opinion and conjecture, but I really don’t have to, as you are probably not an applicant and judging by your attitude, you wouldn’t be happy in our City.
The bottom line is that the City of Miami Gardens is now in control of its destiny, and you, like others, can not get past your personal bias and unconstructive statements.
We do not think, for a second, that this venture will be easy. But we are willing to take on the challenge associated with our mission of creating a new Miami Gardens Police Department and will be successful.
Consider adjusting your attitude and give us a chance to succeed or fail on our own without your preconceived notions of what we will or will not become.
Other agencies have their legacies and reputation; please allow us to create our own.
Whether you do or don’t change your mind, I wish you well, and hope that if someone doubts your ability to accomplish a task you will be given the opportunity and benefit of the doubt. Something you have not been willing to extend to the City of Miami Gardens Police Department.
Thank you,
