New DC

Yes Burhmeister might be a decent choice but there are internal choices that would be better It does not have to be a Major maybe a captain, lieutenant or a retired command officer.

John is a great Guy that survived Cuban Politics at the Banana Republic. Great idea Chief. Let's bring back the old Scarberry management to the PD.

What is "the old Scarberry management"?

Have u looked at the command staff, there is no one worth while there. Also what retired commander did u want to take the DC job... U can't double dip..

Continuing to bring in outsiders to top command positions is a mistake and will have long and short term negative consequences for the organization.

Chief Rocky Pomerance (1963-1978. These dates are guesses) brought in Ray LaGrand in a "Mr." position. I think he had a PhD in something or other and basically rewrote our manual, got Chief Pomerance through his AA degree and was his "gofer". He wasn't popular because he took up what would have been a Major's position and had not paid his dues like the rest of us. To our small old fashioned Department his presence was a major affront. A few other outsiders came and went without major disruption until the Huber administration. (Chief Glassman did bring in his friend as a legal advisor and he was a jerk, but didn't really take up a sworn position.)

When Chief Glassman (1985-1991) retired early the city administration thought that the department was out of control and brought in the first true outsider in years. (In another post I will talk about the Chief's from the early years. With few exception, chiefs came from within and changed about every two years with the city elections. Ve even had a movie star's father as a chief) Chief Pomerance was the first long term chief, with about 13 years and I guess then Barreto with 7 and Glassman with 6.

Huber was brought in on a 5 year contract as a reform Chief and came with two of his subordinates from Baltimore. One was a tech guy who was not that personable but very competent. He never really identified with MBPD but was good at his computer stuff and never hurt anyone. I think that Huber was disappointed that he did not turn out to be an organizational assassin. But, I think the department was the better for his having been with us because he made inroads regarding our technology that we probably could not have done for ourselves. Things he accomplished may still be a benefit to the department but are not getting headlines.

The other was an HR guy. I personally liked this guy from the day Huber was overheard screaming at him that he was getting as bad as the rest of us. He immediately became a member of the department and was very friendly and helpful. He had a lot to do with the 9 year consent decree that diversified the department. The work he performed probably could have been done by a number of others, but it was a terrible job involving the dealing with City Hall and all types of lawyers and files and the such. There was not a line of cops out the door trying to get his job.

In both cases these Commander positions (appointed between Lieutenant and Captain) could have been given to Beach cops, but at the time we were increasing in personnel, there had been hires and promotions and these Commanders were not at the top of the organization and did not dictate enforcement policy.

The issue of bringing in Huber to fix our allegedly out of control agency twenty years ago is worthy of a separate post. I want to move to the more recent Martinez administration, which I find problematic.

It all starts with Miami PD in the early 70's. Young Officer Ray Martinez's best friend was young Officer Rodney Barretto, brother of later MBPD Chief Richard Barretto. Ray went up through the ranks in MPD as Rodney slithered into a relationship with Monty Trainer's. Rodney worked there off-duty and eventually quit and became a multi-millionaire lobbyist with his tentacles in Miami International Airport and many other adventures. Richard Barretto at first did not think he could be Chief because of some sorted details from his earlier life.

It must be understood that Richard and Rodney Barretto's father was simply an employee with the railroad. (I met him a few times. He was very nice, friendly and gentlemanly, but he was one of these behind the scenes power brokers, like Frank Martin, the Mayor of the Market). He raised 6 or seven very successful and political children and was best friends with Steve Clark, the 20 year Mayor of Dade County and a "Nucky Thompson" type corrupt local politician, dubbed the "Marshmallow Mayor" by the papers for his corruption and incompetence. (The Barretto's are actually so powerful that so far they have at least two roads named after themselves)

So the Barretto's huddled together and got Richard his job. And remember, it was Barretto who brought in the dynamic former Miami Cop, Manny Diaz, as Asst. Chief. An incompetent administrator and a detriment to the Department, and Greg something or other in Services, another Miami hack that made Manny look stellar.

Later, Miami Mayor, "Crazy" Joe Carollo, began to dismantle the MPD command staff after the MPD arrested him for domestic violence and embarrassed him over the Elian Gonzalez raid. Carollo fired the Chief, William O'Brien, and chased away Asst. Chief John Brooks who bounced around and is now, I think, the Chief in Sunrise. Martinez was told he was next and needed help. So the Baretto's huddled up and cut a deal. DeLucca would be given the Chief's job on the Beach if he brought in Martinez. (Remember, the City Manager, George Gonzalez, who chose Delucca as Chief and brought Overton to MBPD from Hialeah as an Asst. Chief is the same City Manager who has now brought Overton to their next victim city)

Delucca had some dark power of his own from his politically connected uncle, a golf course employee with "connections" and his father, a former corrupt local official. Working together, Delucca and Martinez took over.

Now, it should be clear that I don't approve of these people, their morals, ethics or lack of loyalty to us. Martinez allowed Delucca to discard the Department like a used condom and left Chief Noriega to twist in the wind. The look-out at Pearl Harbor performed at a better level. In 10 years, as the A/C what did Martinez accomplish for the Department? And for the past two years or so he has been Chief. How's it going?

I understand that some departments need outside Chiefs and Chiefs need their people with them. Our people have done this to others. I'm always proud to list Whittaker, Tighe, Solowitz, Mackie, Chambers, Press, Hunker, Robbins, Allen, Glassman, Scarberry (and who ever else I can't think of right now) who left us and went off to a leadership positions in a different department. Some met more success than others. Maybe Huber was the wrong person for us (actually, he had some very good ideas), but a tough boss from the outside might be the right way for some agencies to proceed. That's not what is happening here.

I see the evil of downtown Miami corruption making long term inroads to Miami Beach and MBPD. The way in which Martinez got and kept his job all these years is troubling. If I understand things, you now have three Majors and none has any internal support to be the next A/C. I don't know if they deserve that lack of approval, but let's say you are right and none of the current crop of Majors is or ever will be ready. How did that happen? What has Martinez been doing to grow the next crop of leaders over the past 12 years.

By continuing to appoint Chief's and Assistant Chiefs from the outside and in the long term the city and Administration; 1) tacitly states that middle and upper managers are incompetent, 2) stagnates upper mobility, 3) erodes moral, 4) unnecessarily places the department in a position of ridicule.

In this case Miami Beach City Hall seems hell bent for leather to destroy a once proud Department by continuing to dip into the dark pool of downtown Miami politics, incompetence and corruption. These Barreto/Martinez/Delucca/Gonzalez activities brings MBPD the raw sewage from a record setting crooked system which will leave a lasting stench.

I'm against these downtown outsiders. The only way to stop it is to start grooming competent leaders and radically change the leadership of the FOP to where they look out for the Department and not themselves. It is imperative to have a sophisticated and effective union on our side. What about our Captains and Lieutenants? What about one of our retirees who still has a few marathons in him or her? What about one of our guys who's now or was recently a successful Chief in another Department? Without a sophisticated political union in place and without credible contenders in the hopper we will just have to make due with what splats from downtown's rectum. Damn near killed him.

I was kidding about Chambers.

Steve Robbins writes long posts.

A tough post to follow but I have to write on one of MBPD's darkest days. While I don't share all of your views regarding the departments past (I remember Huber bringing his own Command Staff only to have a stronger union force him to make them Commanders outside of the chain of command, they could not supervise line officers or supervisors. I could be remembering wrong though)
I must also say I am not versed in politics, ours or theirs, and I had several opportunities to work with the new guy over the years and found him to be a good guy and a great cop (maybe not to our standard, but a great cop.) You want to root or him. You want a fellow officer to be successful. That is not my issue. Today a position which should command respect was given away as a gift to a friend. Half a hundred people stood there while 2 people who never worked here, served here or bled here rubbed our noses in their ability to negate hard work and integrity through cronyism.
Prior to the last city manager 6 chiefs were made from our ranks. Now we give the position away to people with fealty to outside political machines. Are the Majors bad leaders? How would we know? No decision is currently made without getting an OK from the 4th floor where they admit they cant take action without an OK from City Hall. They were given a title of responsibility but without the authority to make decisions, learning leadership through lessons of success and failure. The myriad voices of differing experiences, which could be used to make decisions, have been silenced if anything but "yes sir" is uttered.
Would we be better off, would the department and community be better served, if an MBPD Major or Captain got that job? Of course. It is the sustainability argument you here so much lately. We must cultivate our resources so new growth will take over when we loose experience and leadership. No one would come to us for a career when they see we give away our top positions. They will come to us for a job only and will treat it like one, without higher meaning or purpose, or ethics, or integrity. Or is it too late? A dark, dark day. With more to come.

Dear Quest contradiction on your part shows your ignorance once again. John did retire as a captain for MPD as I indicated before, so non believer just ask him for retirement identification. Now on the Warshaw, what Warshaw did was on him and he went to jail for it and lost his pension of about 26 years. John remained a major and was demoted by crazy Joe Carrolo because John refused to be forced into doing illegal things for him. That's why Mr. Know-it-all, John has a clearance letter in his file from the FBI and if you have the clout as you think you do why don't you research the FDLE investigation file where Crazy Joe got spanked and lied about his involvement, and John once again remained and retired in good standing.
How do I know that, because he has now moved on to the beach pd passed his phyc, poly and background. But according to you "AH" he wasn't an ACM , omg i guess he wasn't anything. Listen I just did your mother, and like all "AH" like you if your so brave why don't you confront him, coward, chicken, ***** - whatever!

WOW HOWARD BENNETT I'M SO NOT IMPRESSED BUY YOUR COMMENT. IF YOU SAY YOU WERE THERE TODAY AT THE CEREMONY AND SAW TWO FRIENDS GIVE AWAY A COMMAND POSITION THEN I GUESS YOU WERE LOOKING IN YOUR PANTS FOR SOMETHING YOU DON'T HAVE, AND THAT''S A SET. YOU DISLIKE JB BECAUSE OF A LICENSE PLATE ISSUE. YOU KEEP TELLING PEOPLE THAT YOU HAVE CONFRONTED HIM ABOUT IT, LIAR, WHATS A MATTER YOU AFRAID, THE TWO PEOPLE YOU SAW TODAY ARE AND WERE VETERANS, WHO SHED A LOT OF BLOOD ON THE STREETS OF MIAMI, AND WILL BE IT AGAIN ON THE BEACH. I DIDN'T KNOW ACCORDING TO MR. HOWARD BENNETT THAT THE STREET HAD TO BE A MIAMI BEACH ONE. WHY DON'T YOU JUST RETIRE ALREADY AND GO AWAY.

Howard don't be such a ***** and drink your meds. JB is more of a man than you ever will be.