The South Florida Police Benevolent Association, formerly the Dade County PBA, announced on Tuesday their endorsement of Miami-Dade Public Safety Chief Jems “James” Reyes in the historic election for Miami-Dade sheriff, the first since the 1950s.
“In his current role as our Chief of Public Safety, James has demonstrated his commitment to law and order and providing our officers with the resources they need to do their jobs more safely and effectively,” PBA President Steadman Stahl said in a statement. “As we navigate this transition from the Miami-Dade Police Department into an independent Sheriff’s Office, we have confidence in Chief Reyes at the helm because of his proven high-level command experience in a Sheriff’s Office, tireless advocacy for our officers, and above all his commitment to public safety.”
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In his own statement, Reyes said he was “incredibly proud and honored to have earned this endorsement from the South Florida PBA, whose members keep our community safe.
“Throughout my career, I have been a tireless fighter and advocate for our officers and their families, and I promise to keep that commitment as our first elected sheriff in more than 60 years,” said Reyes, who has also been endorsed by the South Florida AFL-CIO, AFSCME Florida, and GSAF Local 100.
Stahl told Political Cortadito that the PBA, which represents more than 7,500 members, sent all the candidates a questionnaire and the selection committee interviewed all but three. Two of them did not go to the interview: Democrat Ritchey Mitchell, who was a cop for five minutes and now runs a funeral home, and Republican Ernesto “Ernie” Rodriguez, who is currently with the department’s Agricultural and Environmental Crimes unit. John Rivera, a retired officer and former president of the PBA, wasn’t included because, well, the members know him already. “There was no reason,” Stahl said.
“This is going to be a big move for Miami-Dade County,” Stahl told Ladra. “There are a a lot of good candidates. This is probably the hardest endorsement we’ve had to face.”
Reyes, he said, was deemed the best qualified “to move the police department and the corrections department to the sheriff’s office. He’s well-knowledge. He’s well-versed.
“It was a hard decision. I’ve got a lot of personal friends running,” Stahl added.
But they didn’t have to make a hard decision yet and could have waited until after Aug. 20, because Reyes is a sure thing for the Democrat primary. And, instead, Stahl has pissed off some members of Miami-Dade Police force — including some of the other candidates. Las malas lenguas say Stahl succumbed to political influence. The SFPBA also endorsed other candidates, both Republican and Democrat — but all of them incumbents.
Reyes is seen as an incumbent because he is already heading the county’s public safety. Allegedly.
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Mayor Daniella Levine Cava hired him November and las malas lenguas also say that she did so two months before he announced his candidacy because she knew he would be her replacement for former Public Safety Chief Freddy Ramirez, who tried to blow his brains out in his car but just got enough of it to lose his political career, and his position but not his employment. Before that, Reyes’ entire career was with the Broward County Sheriff’s Office — in corrections. Now, his campaign consultant is her campaign consultant, Christian Ulvert, who is having one helluva year with multiple races.
“James Reyes has never been a police officer, has never work the Miami-Dade Police uniform,” said retired major Ignacio “Iggy” Alvarez, another candidate, on the Actualidad 1040 morning show Tuesday with Roberto Rodriguez-Tejera and Ricardo Brown.
“The only reason Steadman Stahl made that decision is because he is in the pocket of the mayor,” said Alvarez, who is now an attorney after serving 25 years at MDPD, the last of which were as head of the special victims’ unit. He added that, if he is elected, he will ask for a union members’ vote of no confidence on the president.
“He represents himself. We need someone who represents the officers,” said Alvarez, who noted that he has the endorsement of the Florida State Fraternal Order of Police District 6, which represents the police officers in most of the county’s municipalities.
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Stahl said he understands there’s going to be hurt feelings. “There are 15 candidates. Fourteen of them are upset, and 14 of them have to come up with different reasons.
“But I’m not sure how that was a favor for the mayor. Our contract has already been negotiated and settled” he said, adding that the union got the largest cost of living increase in 30 years. “We’re good til 2026. And that’s going to be negotiated with the sheriff, not the mayor.
“I’m not looking to be an undersheriff. I’m 59 years old and I enjoy being the PBA president,” added Stahl, who also happens to be Republican.
Chief James Reyes scores PBA nod in crowded Miami-Dade sheriff’s race added by Ladra on
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