• Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD) has purchased the ShotSpotter acoustic gunshot detection system. The system is being installed throughout an 8-square-mile area within Northside and South Districts. ShotSpotter sensors contain high decibel microphones with antenna and radio, and a Global Positioning Satellite component, which are connected to a network, via a cellular data modem. The sensors triangulate to react only to gunfire and alert police with the precise location and audio of a gunfire incident. MDPD intends to use this system in conjunction with several other solutions to identify crime scenes, subjects, and vehicles involved in these crimes.
   
• MDPD’s Crime Scene Investigative Support Section is comprised of the following units: Digital Forensic, Forensic Imaging, Crime Scene Investigations, and the Body-Worn Camera, which was added in Fiscal Year 2015/16. MDPD deployed body-worn cameras to all uniform sergeants and officers to include the Motorcycle Unit, Neighborhood Resource Unit in the district stations, and the municipalities that we provide contractual police services. The Department has deployed over 1,200 cameras since the program's inception and hired a civilian staff to process body worn camera public records requests.
   
• The Miami-Dade Public Safety Training Institute graduated the following classes in 2016:
  • Basic Law Enforcement #112 - 36 police officers
  • Basic Law Enforcement #113 - 33 police officers
  • Basic Law Enforcement #114 - 34 police officer
  • Certified Transitional Academy #1 - 20 police officers
  • Certified Transitional Academy #2 - 22 police officers
  • Certified Transitional Academy #3 - 25 police officers
  • Lateral Academy #1 - 40 police officers
  • Lateral Academy #2- 51 police officers

A total of 261 police officers graduated in 2016.

• In 2016, the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program instructed 9,752 students in 96 schools across Miami-Dade County. The curriculum is taught by uniformed police officers to 5th grade students for the purpose of teaching positive alternatives to substance use, bullying, and gang violence. The program helps kids develop self-esteem, as well as interpersonal and communications skills.
   
• The Students Together Against Negative Decisions (STAND) program, which is taught by four officers in 32 high schools, informs students about the consequences of their actions. STAND gives students the opportunity to hear presentations on bullying, the dangers of drinking and driving, dangers of texting and driving, date rape, substance abuse, human trafficking, and sexting. In 2016, the program had over 40,000 students participate in a variety of activities.
   
• The Double Up On Drug Tips program was implemented this year to enhance Crime Stoppers reward monies. Through the Law Enforcement Trust Funds, rewards will be matched dollar-for-dollar (up to $1,000) for any drug arrest and seizure paid out by Crime Stoppers according to their established protocols. Since the inception, 39 tips have qualified for the program with reward amounts totaling $24,160.
   
• During this calendar year, in partnership with Crime Stoppers, the Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD) established the Stop Youth Gun Violence Reward Fund, which enhances reward monies for information leading to the arrest of individuals involved in the shooting of innocent juveniles age 17 and under. To date, a total of $60,000 will be used to increase reward monies in four different cases.
  
  
• Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department (MDCR) was re-awarded an Adult Reentry Education Grant (Project Restart) from the Department of Education for a second year.  As one of nine communities, this grant will support MCRS’s mission by supporting educational attainment and reentry success for individuals who have been incarcerated.
  
  
• In order to meet operational demands, MDCR hired 101 new correctional officers, 58 certified correctional officers and 55 non-sworn support personnel through an aggressive hiring plan.
   
• MDCR actively maintains its facilities to ensure appropriate safe and secure living conditions for inmates in its custody.  Major projects have included the following:
  • Retrofitted units in the Metro West Detention Center to house mental health inmates.
  • Installed over 1,500 surveillance cameras system-wide over the last three years.
  • Upgraded to the network infrastructure, including the UPS, Main Switches and Fiber, at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center and Metro West Detention Center.
  • Renovated elevators, enhanced the public parking lot, and installed a new cook chiller at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
  • Installed new retherm units, implemented Watch Tour System in Mental Health Units, and replaced various handler units at Metro West Detention Center.
  • Upgraded to showers, installed of Watch Tour System, refurbished medical isolation cells, and completed roof replacement at Pre-Trial Detention Center.
• MDCR continues to offer training programs that will enhance employee knowledge, skills and abilities and improve their performance. Various trainings were offered throughout the year to include training mandated by the Department of Justice. Pursuant to this, MDCR trained 307 sworn employees in Crisis Intervention Training for Corrections, 754 in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, 236 in Defensive Tactics Refresher, 117 sworn supervisors on Emergency/Evacuation Keys, 1,079 on Annual Firearms Qualifications, 382 in Response to Resistance, 723 in Automated External Defibrillator, 174 in Special Management Unit, 101 in Basic First Aid Training, and 226 in Suicide Prevention.  All departmental staff received on-line training on reference the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA), Direct Supervision, and OSHA/HAZCOM standards.
   
• In 2016, “Stepping Up”, a study conducted by Dewey and Associates with support of the Children’s Trust, indicated that juvenile civil citations increased public safety, improved youth outcomes and saved taxpayer money.  Civil citations increase public safety by lowering recidivism rates and through cost-savings that are reinvested into public safety resources. The study highlights that the Juvenile Service Department (JSD) is leading the state by utilizing civil citations 91 percent of the time when youth are eligible. Miami-Dade’s Civil Citation has served over 18,000 families since inception in 2007.

• Anchor institutions, including JSD, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, the Children’s Trust, the State Attorney’s Office, and the United States Attorney’s Office, first came together in April 2016 at the Historic Hampton House. The mission was to align, leverage and expand their own resources and programs, taking the first step to tackle root causes of youth violence in a proactive way by using data processes to identify the most vulnerable youth. Once anchor institutions considered data and reflected on their own services, they held a public invitation in September 2016 to encourage community members and community-based organizations to join the coalition in developing neighborhood-specific action plans to empower and protect at-risk youth.
   
• Together with Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson, JSD accepted President Barack Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper Initiative (MBK) on behalf of Miami-Dade County to address the challenges facing boys and young men of color. Miami-Dade County has joined a group of leading states, cities and tribal nations who also believe in public service. The MBK Initiative will assist in guiding the Miami-Dade community towards a more inclusive, equitable and just society focused on boys and young men of color. 
   
• In 2016, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue’s (MDFR’s) 141 frontline rescue and fire suppression units were dispatched almost 400,000 times to more than 260,000 emergencies. Of these, approximately 218,000 were medical emergencies. MDFR transported almost 82,000 residents and visitors to South Florida hospitals. MDFR responded to more than 24,000 fire-related incidents and almost 19,000 non-fire-rescue related calls.
   
• MDFR also celebrated the graduation of Firefighter Recruit Class #129, welcoming 40 new Firefighter/Paramedics at a ceremony at MDFR’s Training Facility in Doral, Florida. Two additional recruit classes totaling 72 new firefighters began training in October and November 2016, and are expected to graduate in early 2017.
   
• A 36-foot fireboat was placed into service at the Haulover Marina. This vessel, along with MDFR’s 50-foot fireboat currently in service from Port Miami, significantly enhance MDFR’s response capabilities to the northern portions of Miami-Dade County’s navigable waterways, including 84 miles of ocean coastline, 22 miles of beaches, 67 miles of inland waterways, and 5.5 miles of the Miami River. The 36-foot MetalCraft fireboat is in service 24 hours a day, seven days a week at the Haulover Marina. In 2016, MDFR’s Marine Operations units responded to more than 600 maritime incidents.
   
• MDFR’s Public Education Bureau provided and installed over 5,000 smoke alarms to needy and elderly County residents. The smoke alarms were acquired through grant assistance programs and charitable donations.
   
• MDFR was once again awarded accreditation status by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI). The CFAI process provides a well-defined, internationally recognized benchmark system to measure the quality of fire and emergency services. Participation in this process validates MDFR’s commitment to providing continuous quality improvement and enhancement of service delivery to the residents and visitors of Miami-Dade County. MDFR is one of only 216 fire departments in the world and the second largest in the nation to be accredited by CFAI.
   
• Forty-three MDFR firefighters served as volunteer guardians and accompanied 77 World War II (WWII) veterans, who arrived at Miami International Airport from the South Florida Honor Flight's trip to Washington D.C. as part of “Operation Homecoming.” The South Florida Honor Flight Hub, one of 127 Honor Flight Hubs in the nation, is a non-profit organization created solely to honor America's WWII and terminally ill veterans to recognize their sacrifices. These heroes are flown to Washington D.C. to visit and reflect at their respective memorials free of charge. Top priority is given to America’s most senior heroes and will naturally transition to veterans of the Korean War, Vietnam War, and other wars on a chronological basis.
   
• MDFR received the 2016 Lifeline® EMS Gold Level Recognition Award on June 29, 2016. This award is the highest level of recognition presented by the American Heart Association to EMS agencies from across the nation for their vital role in providing timely treatment to patients who experience severe heart attacks.  Agencies that receive the Mission: Lifeline Gold award have demonstrated at least 75 percent compliance for each required achievement measure for two consecutive years, and treat at least eight STEMI patients for the year.
   
  
• The Medical Examiner (ME) Department Director and Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Emma O. Lew was selected to receive a 2016 "In the Company of Women" Award. The award recognizes her as one of Miami-Dade’s 12 most distinguished women leaders.
   
• The ME maintained its accreditation with the National Association of Medical Examiners. The accreditation, which is attained by fewer than half of Florida’s Medical Examiner Districts, assures that the department is providing the expanding population of Miami-Dade County with a recognized high standard of forensic pathology services. 
   
• The ME’s Toxicology Laboratory successfully completed its mid-year review by the American Board of Forensic Toxicology. The American Board of Forensic Toxicology accredits qualified laboratories who have demonstrated the requisite qualifications and competence in forensic toxicology. The mid-year review ensures that the Laboratory is a part of a small, exclusive group of accredited institutions and is on track for its full reaccreditation next year.
   
• In addition, the Toxicology Division at the ME was awarded the Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grant for the fourth time since 2008. The Coverdell program is a highly competitive program that awards grant money to states and units of local government to help improve forensic science and medical examiner services. Currently, the Laboratory uses more than $3 million dollars of highly specialized scientific instrumentation to conduct 12,000 tests annually, with the ultimate goal of providing the medical examiners with critical data in completing case investigations brought to the department. The Laboratory will use the $250,000 from this grant to purchase an instrument that will quantify new illegal substances.