Manuel Morales has been appointed as the City of Miami's full-time police chief.
Morales has been serving as the Miami Police Department's interim chief since former Chief Art Acevedo's firing in October 2021.
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“I am incredibly honored and humbled to be selected as Chief of the Miami Police Department," Morales said in a statement Monday. “... To all the heroes of the Miami PD, I want to thank you for your steadfast commitment to our community policing principles, your daily sacrifices do not go unnoticed nor unappreciated. To our community, I pledge to hold the sanctity of human life at the center of all we do at the Miami Police Department.”
Morales joined the department in 1994 and has served in numerous positions since, including police commander and assistant chief in charge of Administrative and Field Operations Divisions. He holds a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership from St. Thomas University and a master’s degree, with distinction, in Security Studies from the Center for Homeland Defense and Security at the Naval Postgraduate School.
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"After further evaluating Chief Morales' performance during the first 100 days, I am extremely confident that he is eminently qualified, respected and admired by many and will continue to do a great job as Chief for the Police Department," City Manager Art Noriega said in a news release Monday. "Furthermore, this decision will ensure stability at the leadership level of the City's Police department."
