When the votes are counted after Tuesday’s primary election, Miami-Dade voters will have made an important decision that is likely to affect how one of the largest law enforcement agencies in the nation does business behind closed doors and in the public for years to come.
For the first time since 1966, registered voters will choose the Democrat and Republican they want to face off in November’s general election for Miami-Dade County sheriff. The winner would direct one of the largest law enforcement agencies in the United States, with a budget bigger than the city of Miami’s and a workforce larger than some small cities.
And like many newly created bureaucracies, the transition comes with many unanswered questions. Miami-Dade County commissioners have yet to decide whether a new sheriff would oversee the county’s Department of Corrections and its $500 million budget and 3,000 employees. Miami-Dade’s law enforcement budget alone is $1 billion. And the county police department has about 5,000 sworn and civilian employees.