Miami Gardens Welcomes First Female Police Chief

MIAMI GARDENS, FL — Amid an overflowing crowd, Delma Noel-Pratt was sworn in on Monday as the new chief of the Miami Gardens Police Department. She becomes the first woman to hold that post. Prior to accepting the job she held multiple leadership positions in the Miami-Dade Police Department and was at one time a finalist to lead that department.

"It is my faith in God, my admiration for my fellow man and my purpose in life to give back to the community," Noel-Pratt told local residents, elected officials and a number of senior Miami area law enforcement officials, including Miami-Dade Police Director Juan Perez and Miami Beach Police Chief Daniel J. Oates.

"She comes with a strong will, with an accountable personality," Perez told a local television crew. "She’s going to hold the office accountable and she’s going to bring a philosophy of teamwork."

He told another news crew that Noel-Pratt has a mindset to work with the community and engage residents. "It's going to be an outstanding match up for them," he said.

With more than 113,000 residents, Miami Gardens is the third most populous city in Miami-Dade County behind only Miami and Hialeah.

City police have historically battled higher than average crime rates in Miami Gardens. Noel-Pratt said she plans to talk to community members throughout the city to get a better feel for the specific policing needs in each area of Miami Gardens.

A number of Miami area law enforcement agencies took to social media to welcome the new chief. Here is a sampling of the posts:

Photo courtesy city of Miami Gardens