<\/p>\n
Miami Police Chief Manuel A. Morales speaks to the media during a press conference discussing mid-year crime stats on Thursday, July 17, 2025, in Miami.<\/p>\n
D.A. Varela<\/p>\n
dvarela@miamiherald.com<\/p>\n
Miami Police Chief Manuel Morales came under fire Thursday when a city commissioner accused the chief of running to unseat him in next year\u2019s election and using his official city position to \u201ccatapult\u201d himself into elected office.<\/p>\n
During Thursday\u2019s commission meeting, Commissioner Ralph Rosado alleged that Morales has told various people that he plans to run in the 2027 election for the District 4 seat that Rosado currently occupies. With the chief standing at the podium in the commission chambers, Rosado asked him point-blank to respond to those allegations.<\/p>\n
Morales said he has been \u201capproached by members of the community\u201d about a possible run for office, \u201cbut that is so far off in the future. In this business of public safety, I work one day at a time, sir. I have absolutely no plans right now to pursue that anytime soon.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rosado said he\u2019d heard otherwise.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve heard from at least a dozen individuals who have said \u2014 unrelated individuals \u2014 who have said that you have said that you are going to be running for the District 4 seat,\u201d Rosado said, \u201cwhich puts me in a really uncomfortable position, because we\u2019re paying you essentially half-a-million dollars a year to be campaigning on the job.\u201d<\/p>\n
Miami Commissioner Ralph Rosado speaks to the media during a press conference discussing mid-year crime stats on Thursday, July 17, 2025, in Miami. D.A. Varela dvarela@miamiherald.com <\/p>\n
Morales, who earns $350,000 a year in compensation, is set to retire in October. City Manager James Reyes said the city has had preexisting plans to begin the recruitment process for Morales\u2019 successor in the near future and that the transition process between chiefs is scheduled to begin three months ahead of Morales\u2019 retirement.<\/p>\n
But Rosado said Morales\u2019 departure from the city should be \u201cmuch sooner.\u201d He called on the city manager to appoint an interim chief and begin the search for Morales\u2019 replacement \u201cimmediately.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not willing to work with you all the way to October, or even much sooner than that, quite frankly,\u201d Rosado said. \u201cI find it dishonest for you to say that you\u2019re being approached when you are telling people out in the community that you are running for this seat. … We live in a democracy. But you can\u2019t work for the city and be doing that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Speaking to reporters after the confrontation, Morales denied the allegation that he\u2019s done any campaigning. He said his position as chief is \u201capolitical\u201d and that he has \u201cno plans\u201d to run for office. However, he wasn\u2019t willing to rule out the possibility.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m never ruling anything out,\u201d Morales said. \u201cI don\u2019t know what the future might hold. Especially if I\u2019m unemployed in six months. I might need a job.\u201d<\/p>\n
None of Rosado\u2019s four colleagues supported his motion to remove Morales and appoint an interim chief. But Commissioner Miguel Angel Gabela also aired some grievances, saying Morales recently hosted a \u201cbreakfast with the chief\u201d event in Gabela\u2019s district without notifying him first.<\/p>\n