The Miami Police Department could see 300 additional officers join the force over the next three years as part of a major expansion to keep pace with the city’s rapid growth and increasing demand for public safety services.
On June 26, Miami commissioners are to consider a resolution directing the city manager to fund, recruit and hire 100 new officers a year for three consecutive fiscal years starting in 2025-2026. If the measure passes, the manager will be tasked with identifying funding sources and returning with a plan at the commission’s July 24 meeting.
The hiring push would mark the city’s most ambitious effort in years to grow the police force – currently staffed by 1,400 sworn officers and 400 civilians – and comes as Miami’s population and urban density continue to rise. Police leaders say the department ideally needs 300 more officers to meet the demands of a growing city, but persistent staffing shortages and nationwide recruitment challenges have made that goal difficult to reach.
During a commission meeting in September 2023, Police Chief Manny Morales told commissioners the department had 1,388 officers, was carrying 86 vacancies and struggling to retain staff, citing a national trend in recruitment and retention. At the time, he said the department ideally needed 1,500 officers. He noted Miami had lost more than 50 officers that year while hiring just 32, but assured commissioners that the department would meet its hiring targets before the year’s end.
Despite those staffing gaps, police data show crime in the city has declined in recent years. In September 2023, Mr. Morales said homicides were down 40% and shootings had dropped 46% compared to 2022. A 2024 department annual report shows citywide crimes fell from 17,744 in 2023 to 17,286 in 2024. Officials said sustained success depends on having more officers on the street, particularly in high-crime neighborhoods.
The resolution today would direct the city manager to pinpoint funding sources, grants and other available options to support the added positions. It also calls for the manager to return to the commission on July 24 to present a plan of action. If approved, the first cohort of 100 officers would be added in 2025-2026, followed by two more rounds of hiring in the subsequent years.
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