Miami Mayor: New Police Chief Right For 'Complex' City

MIAMI, FL — Miami's new police chief was introduced to the public in the same week that three gun-wielding boys are believed to have been responsible for an armed carjacking in which the suspects were not even old enough to drive the Infiniti they allegedly stole. Miami Mayor Francis Suarez told Patch that curbing gun violence will be among the top priorities for longtime police veteran Jorge Colina as he steps into his dream job heading up one of the largest police departments in the United States.

Suarez blames drugs for much of the violent crime that is taking place around the city.

"We have an incredibly complex city," Suarez said in an interview. "My expectations are that he can navigate first and foremost the drug-fueled violence that we're seeing in our city."

Chief Colina inherits a department with more than 1,200 officers from retiring Chief Rodolfo Llanes, who postponed his retirement during the transition to the Suarez administration.

Colina, himself, stressed that he wants community policing to come as second nature for his officers.

"This is not just about protect. It's protect and serve," said the former assistant chief after being named to the top post on Thursday. "Part of that is to be out of the cars — foot patrol, bicycles — interacting with the community that we serve because if we have the support of the community, that's going to obviously increase our chances to success."

Colina told Patch he believes he has enough manpower to get the job done but he may need more officers in the future.

"We can always use more officers. Right now our staffing numbers are greater than they've ever been," he said. "But you know we keep growing. Not only are we growing in terms of the amount of people that come into the city, but we're growing vertically with all the apartment buildings. And so I hope that we'll have enough officers."

He called this his dream job.

"I feel like a little kid," he said. "I'm not embarrassed to say that this is surreal right now for me. I love Miami. It's in my heart. I have spent most of my adult life working for this police department. I take great pride in wearing this uniform. So, to be in a position where I'm leading the police department and I"m able to do the things that I hope to do is exciting, and really a dream come true."

Miami Commissioner Ken Russell agreed that drugs — and the opioid crisis in particular — must be the top item on the chief's agenda.

"I have good faith that he is going to hit the ground running. But the opioid epidemic, the drug problem in Miami is paramount right now. That to me is the root of many, many problems that we have and the gun violence," Russell told Patch. "Traffic enforcement is something that's further down the line but it's something that affects all of us, that we feel on a daily basis and I know he's going to take on that as well."

Suarez added that Colina's understanding that Miami is a "diverse and inclusive city" will be an advantage in his policing decisions.

"We have to police it as such and that is always a delicate balance," according to Suarez, who said that Colina is the best person for Miami at this time.

"I think we have someone who is incredibly accomplished, articulate, someone who cares deeply about the city, is incredibly talented," Suarez explained. "I honestly think we have the best possible candidate that we could have from anywhere in the world."

Photo of Mayor Francis Suarez by Paul Scicchitano