MDPD where did it all go wrong?

[Unregistered]

I retired from MDPD 16 years ago and have since lived in Lynchburg, Virginia. I have not kept up with the day to day affairs of the department or for that matter Miami as a whole. This past week I returned to Miami for only the second time to visit a friend an ill friend and I met up at a local watering hole with a couple of the guys I once worked with. They are now as old as I was when I left and most are getting ready to finish their DROP this coming year or the next. After pleasantries were exchanged the conversation quickly switched to the "old days", a cliche used by cops since time immemorial.
I was stunned to hear one story after the other about how MDPD has changed for the worse since the time I have been gone. I was appalled to hear that a professional department such as ours gave up on conducting true long term investigations into organized crime and other lesser crimes long ago. I was told that for the most part, the mindset of the administrations that came after Fred Taylor was to push for "uniform presence" rather than preserve investigative units throughout the county. This, I view as a terrible blunder since young cops cut their teeth in those investigative units. Most of the complaints I heard though were about how affirmative action has affected the department. It seems that no longer are the most talented or hardest working cops getting promoted or going to the few specialized units left in the department. Affirmative action is something we all talked about and feared when I was here and I hear about the results of that twisted policy now. Last but not least was the conversation about how this "strong mayor format" implemented a few years ago has turned MDPD into the same type of cesspool City of Miami PD used to be when I was here. When I heard the current county mayor is a former City of Miami Fire Chief and City Manager, I quickly understood how things could have gone so wrong. At last, I was told that the strong mayor format has tied up the department administration and MDPD is equivalent today to the mayor's private security guard headed by a puppet administration made up of affirmative action beneficiaries. Without exception, all those present could not wait to pull the plug and get the heck out of Dodge.
As I reflect on the conversations I had with my former coworkers, I realize how special MDPD once was and how at the time we did not treasure the institutional knowledge and expertise of most of those great detectives I worked with. I have faith that someday, the department can once again find its way and return to its former greatness. Best of luck to all those who still wear the brown gown and stay safe.

[Unregistered]

Lot of words to say nothing.

[Unregistered]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opini...985_story.html

Dann Emmett sums it up here.

Fred Taylor was a great leader, different time now, but yes hire and promote on ability not connections.

[Unregistered]

I retired from MDPD 16 years ago and have since lived in Lynchburg, Virginia. I have not kept up with the day to day affairs of the department or for that matter Miami as a whole. This past week I returned to Miami for only the second time to visit a friend an ill friend and I met up at a local watering hole with a couple of the guys I once worked with. They are now as old as I was when I left and most are getting ready to finish their DROP this coming year or the next. After pleasantries were exchanged the conversation quickly switched to the "old days", a cliche used by cops since time immemorial.
I was stunned to hear one story after the other about how MDPD has changed for the worse since the time I have been gone. I was appalled to hear that a professional department such as ours gave up on conducting true long term investigations into organized crime and other lesser crimes long ago. I was told that for the most part, the mindset of the administrations that came after Fred Taylor was to push for "uniform presence" rather than preserve investigative units throughout the county. This, I view as a terrible blunder since young cops cut their teeth in those investigative units. Most of the complaints I heard though were about how affirmative action has affected the department. It seems that no longer are the most talented or hardest working cops getting promoted or going to the few specialized units left in the department. Affirmative action is something we all talked about and feared when I was here and I hear about the results of that twisted policy now. Last but not least was the conversation about how this "strong mayor format" implemented a few years ago has turned MDPD into the same type of cesspool City of Miami PD used to be when I was here. When I heard the current county mayor is a former City of Miami Fire Chief and City Manager, I quickly understood how things could have gone so wrong. At last, I was told that the strong mayor format has tied up the department administration and MDPD is equivalent today to the mayor's private security guard headed by a puppet administration made up of affirmative action beneficiaries. Without exception, all those present could not wait to pull the plug and get the heck out of Dodge.
As I reflect on the conversations I had with my former coworkers, I realize how special MDPD once was and how at the time we did not treasure the institutional knowledge and expertise of most of those great detectives I worked with. I have faith that someday, the department can once again find its way and return to its former greatness. Best of luck to all those who still wear the brown gown and stay safe.

Great POST but really look everywhere in DADE COUNTY.. agencies arguing with each other.. me.. me.. generation hasn't helped.. everyone out for themselves.. MDPD was a great agency and was well known around the USA and parts beyond. Many today are jealous of what benefits LEOS have and had.. they are dismantling all pension benefits one agency at a time! Just look at the entire nation and racial divide this administration has created.. seems nothing has changed since the riots in 60's and 70's when in fact everything has changed... yep keep the BS coming conquer and divide.. HMM where have I heard that before?

[Unregistered]

Black lives have ruined this agency & nation.

[Unregistered]

Black lives have ruined this agency & nation.

no its the democrats that have ruined this country black lives matter is just an arm of them funded by soros

[Unregistered]

Black lives have ruined this agency & nation.

Wait until we have to pick the next AD. Another affirmative action promotion with only two choices, Byrd and Pratt.
Neither has the competence, integrity, or skills to fill the position. Sadly it Will be one of them.

[Unregistered]

Lot of words to say nothing.

Maybe if you unclogged your mind you would reach a level of comprehension and the previous statement would make sense to you. Then again, you are probably an affirmative action beneficiary and as stated previously, the reason we have all these problems.

[Unregistered]

Wait until we have to pick the next AD. Another affirmative action promotion with only two choices, Byrd and Pratt.
Neither has the competence, integrity, or skills to fill the position. Sadly it Will be one of them.

the dept will only get worse