Article Courtesy of  Miami's Community News

By Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz

Published May 27, 2025

As your Sheriff, I am honored and deeply committed to leading the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office (MDSO) with integrity, accountability and transparency. Each month, I’ll use this space to speak directly with you, the residents we serve - about the work we’re doing, the challenges we face, and the progress we’re making.

 

My priorities are clear: rooting out corruption, preventing fraud, and ensuring that every part of this office reflects the trust you’ve placed in us. We are here to protect and serve—fairly, honestly, and with unwavering dedication. Soon after taking office, we launched a public corruption landing page, giving residents a direct line to my office to report concerns—an essential step in strengthening public trust. I believe this kind of communication is critical. Too many people in our community have felt unheard, especially when reporting crimes that target working families and small business owners. We are working closely with State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle and her team to make sure that from day one, we are united in our message: corruption will not be tolerated in Miami-Dade County. We will pursue it aggressively. These crimes are particularly offensive because they target hard-working, middle-income people who are simply trying to live the American Dream—provide for their families, keep their businesses afloat, and contribute to their neighborhoods.

Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz

Fraud often overlaps with public corruption—especially when individuals misuse positions of trust. Homeowners association (HOA/Condo) fraud is a perfect example. These are people elected by their neighbors, entrusted to speak on their behalf, who instead take advantage of that trust and exploit it for personal gain.

What makes this type of fraud even more damaging is that victims often don’t have the financial resources or legal knowledge to fight back. These are complex cases, and they can take time. Meanwhile, victims continue to lose money and stability every day. That’s why we created a direct access point to the Sheriff’s Office, connecting people with investigators who are highly trained to recognize these crimes early and take action.

Prevention is just as important as prosecution. We work closely with our Organized Crime Bureau and Public Affairs Office to educate the public. From community presentations to public service announcements, including specific outreach to seniors, we’re focused on teaching people how to avoid becoming victims.

Now, we’re seeing more advanced scams—using artificial intelligence to mimic voices and images. That’s why we’re expanding our resources, growing our investigative units, and ensuring we have the tools to go after bad actors in every corner of our community.

Transparency is a cornerstone of our approach. We’ve created a public crime dashboard, allowing residents to see what’s really happening in their neighborhoods—not just the perception. Whether it’s an uptick in burglaries or auto thefts, these statistics help us spot trends and respond quickly. Numbers can tell a story—on good days and on bad ones. But I want to be clear: Miami-Dade remains one of the safest major counties in the country, and we intend to keep it that way.

I invite you to stay connected through our community touchpoints: Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office

This office belongs to the people of Miami-Dade. And together, with your support and your voice, we will continue building a safer, stronger and more transparent community.