Miami-Dade County's top cop is stepping down after nearly 30 years with the police department.
Police Director Juan Perez announced Friday that he will be retiring on January 12, 2020.
"My family and I have decided that the time has come to move on to the next chapter of our lives," Perez said in a statement. "I'm extremely proud of what we have achieved together during my tenure as Director and I assure you we have been succession planning for some time. The Miami-Dade Police Department and our community is lucky to have many professional and committed law enforcement leaders within its ranks ready to take on any challenges that we may face."
Perez has spent the past four years as director, but has been with the department since 1990. Perez grew up in South Florida and is the son of Cuban immigrants
"We knew this day was coming, but it’s still bittersweet because Director Perez has been a strong, visionary leader who has instituted key training and new technology that have made the Miami-Dade Police Department a national model,” Mayor Gimenez said Friday. "Most important, the initiatives he spearheaded have made our community safer, continued to reduce the crime rate and saved lives."
Gimenez said a successor would be named shortly.
