MIAMI – For the past week, Local 10 News has been working to find out details about the City of Miami’s progress in hiring the next Chief of Police.
In September, Chief Jorge Colina announced he would be retiring in January. Now in mid-February, the city continues its work to find a replacement.
Questions that have yet to be answered include what metrics are being used to make the final decision and how the administration factors in feedback, if any, from panelists who recently interviewed the candidates.
Over the phone on Wednesday morning, a city spokesperson said City Manager Art Noriega is making the hiring decision and is currently in the process of conducting “one-on-one interviews” and that a decision will be shared with the public “within the next two weeks.”
A city spokesperson sent Local 10 this list of the candidates, which includes five who work for the Miami Police Department:
- Armando Aguilar, Assistant Chief, Miami Police Department
- DeShawn Beaufort, Chief Inspector, Philadelphia Police
- Francisco Fernandez, Major, Miami Police Department
- Cherise Gause, Assistant Chief, Miami Police Department
- Jason Lando, Commander, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police
- Manuel Morales, Assistant Chief, Miami Police Department
- Ronald Lee Papier, Deputy Chief, Miami Police Department
- Raul Pintos, Deputy Chief, New York City Police Department
Last month, the city live-streamed public interviews. You can click here to watch what the candidates had to say.
The questions were asked by panelists. What remains unclear is how the panelists were chosen, who drafted the questions, and how their feedback is considered in the city manager’s decision-making process.
The city manager’s office has yet to respond to those questions.
Colina has been in charge of the Miami police force for nearly three years after being named chief in January 2018.
He made a formal announcement of his retirement in September after speaking to his officers.
“I feel a great sense of satisfaction that we’ve been able to achieve the goals that we have set, and it really satisfies me because those goals have been met with the hard work of the men and women of this police department and by your support because I recognize that these things don’t happen by themselves internally,” Colina said then.
Local 10 News has also reached out to the City of Miami Police to inquire about whether Colina has scheduled a final day in office.
Mayor Francis Suárez declined to address the current status of the hiring process when asked by Local 10 News during a news conference on Tuesday.