Bill cementing Miami-Dade Sheriff’s countywide jurisdiction signed into law

When Miami-Dade voters elect a Sheriff, the top cop won’t share authority with a police director.

That’s thanks to a measure by Rep. Juan Fernandez-Barquin codifying Sheriff jurisdictions, which Gov. Ron DeSantis just signed.

Miami-Dade is Florida’s only county with a Mayor-appointed police director rather than a Sheriff. That ends next year, when the county must elect several officeholders for the first time in decades in accordance with a constitutional amendment Florida voters approved in 2018.

Miami-Dade since fought the change through a resolution splitting powers between the incoming Sheriff and Police Director Freddy Ramirez.

Ramirez is now running for Sheriff.

– Jesse Scheckner, Florida Politics