Humble ambitions can be the beginning of greatness

Born in Puerto Rico, Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD) Officer Dael Vargas arrived in the United States with his family as an infant. One of the hardest things Dael had to do was to tell his mother he wanted to honor his father's memory and become a police officer. His mother looked at him and said she always knew this day would come.

At the age of 26 he applied and was accepted into the Miami-Dade Police Department's Police Academy. This gave him the opportunity to make a difference in people's lives. Throughout his career, Officer Vargas always practices what is right is right and what is wrong is wrong; you always stick with the right.

Officer Vargas works hard to represent his community with effectiveness and integrity. He feels there is no greater way to live than to serve our community. Officer Dael Vargas has been with the MDPD for nearly 18 years and currently works in the Homicide Bureau.

At a young age, Officer Dael Vargas' son Andres aspired to be a police officer. Andres' path to becoming a police officer started with a series of conversations with his dad and God. Andres wanted to be the change in the community. With his strong Christian upbringing, his hope was that he could change someone's life by fostering relationships within the community.

Officer Andres Vargas graduated the police academy in January 2023 and is assigned to the Hammocks District. Andres knows that being a police officer is as much about helping people and maintaining the community's quality of life as it is about enforcing laws.