07-10-2007, 05:50 AM
Carlos Noriega Assumes Role As Acting Police Chief He Replaces Retiring Chief Don De Lucca
A changing of the guard took place Monday on Miami Beach, where a veteran police officer who made his way up through the ranks, assumed the duty of “acting” chief of police
Monday, Carlos Noriega replaced retiring Chief Don De Llucca.
His title is "acting" chief and it's expected he'll officially be appointed into the position in the next few weeks.
CBS4’S Brian Andrews spoke exclusively to Noriega, who grew up in Miami Beach and has been a Miami Beach police officer for 23 years. He joined the force as a Patrol Officer during the time of the Mariel Boat Lift.
Noriega attended South Beach Elementary and graduated from Miami Beach Senior High in 1978.
Noriega told Andrews, “This is the community I was raised in, I went to all the schools here, my family lives here and a department I have so much pride in."
The new chief says he’s ready to make the Miami Beach Police Department even better than what it is now.
“It needs to be a customer service, customer friendly organization that enforces all the laws and deals with all the issues we have here, whether its quality of life, traffic, or crime," Noriega told Andrews.
The chief's office is full of sports memorabilia, photographs with celebrities, and historic pictures of an era gone by, as he shows off his Saturday Night Fever poster.
“I grew in the 70's, what can I say, and I fell victim to disco music and Saturday Night Fever was the movie of the times.”
His sports memorabilia is a reminder of his devotion to the community and kids. “I’ve coached baseball, football, and basketball for the past 17 years. I've been involved with youth programs with kids, I think that's essential."
Chief Noriega says Miami Beach is all about tourism and special events which are both priorities for his department.
“We certainly have our club issues here and we have our tourist issues that we want to make sure obviously we provide them with the greatest amount of safety as well as our residents," said Noriega.
Chief Noriega says crime has dropped on the beach for the last 6 years and under his leadership, he wants the numbers to keep dropping.
"Community policing is something to me that's very important. We have to maintain these partnerships. That's the way we're going to be most successful. We have to have the businesses behind us, the community."
Noriega is a family man. He has three children from the ages of 23-15. He sees himself as a bridge builder.
"I want to build bridges internally and externally and put those bridges to use to make this place the best organization it can be."
A changing of the guard took place Monday on Miami Beach, where a veteran police officer who made his way up through the ranks, assumed the duty of “acting” chief of police
Monday, Carlos Noriega replaced retiring Chief Don De Llucca.
His title is "acting" chief and it's expected he'll officially be appointed into the position in the next few weeks.
CBS4’S Brian Andrews spoke exclusively to Noriega, who grew up in Miami Beach and has been a Miami Beach police officer for 23 years. He joined the force as a Patrol Officer during the time of the Mariel Boat Lift.
Noriega attended South Beach Elementary and graduated from Miami Beach Senior High in 1978.
Noriega told Andrews, “This is the community I was raised in, I went to all the schools here, my family lives here and a department I have so much pride in."
The new chief says he’s ready to make the Miami Beach Police Department even better than what it is now.
“It needs to be a customer service, customer friendly organization that enforces all the laws and deals with all the issues we have here, whether its quality of life, traffic, or crime," Noriega told Andrews.
The chief's office is full of sports memorabilia, photographs with celebrities, and historic pictures of an era gone by, as he shows off his Saturday Night Fever poster.
“I grew in the 70's, what can I say, and I fell victim to disco music and Saturday Night Fever was the movie of the times.”
His sports memorabilia is a reminder of his devotion to the community and kids. “I’ve coached baseball, football, and basketball for the past 17 years. I've been involved with youth programs with kids, I think that's essential."
Chief Noriega says Miami Beach is all about tourism and special events which are both priorities for his department.
“We certainly have our club issues here and we have our tourist issues that we want to make sure obviously we provide them with the greatest amount of safety as well as our residents," said Noriega.
Chief Noriega says crime has dropped on the beach for the last 6 years and under his leadership, he wants the numbers to keep dropping.
"Community policing is something to me that's very important. We have to maintain these partnerships. That's the way we're going to be most successful. We have to have the businesses behind us, the community."
Noriega is a family man. He has three children from the ages of 23-15. He sees himself as a bridge builder.
"I want to build bridges internally and externally and put those bridges to use to make this place the best organization it can be."