Miami-Dade Police Vehicles in Ave Maria: What Are Taxpayers Paying For?

This past weekend, I visited Ave Maria with my family and noticed several Miami-Dade police vehicles parked in the community.

It made me wonder: Are officers living there and commuting to Miami-Dade in publicly funded vehicles? If so, who pays for the gas, maintenance and extra miles?

I don’t know why those particular vehicles were there. Parked vehicles alone don’t establish residency or misuse. But the observation raised a question Miami-Dade taxpayers deserve to have answered.

Out-of-county use has been authorized before

In 2006, the Miami-Dade County Commission approved a resolution allowing assigned police vehicles to be used in Broward, Monroe and Collier counties. The stated reasons included recruitment, response readiness and fleet efficiency. Assignments remained at the police director’s discretion.

That means a Miami-Dade police vehicle outside the county is not automatically evidence of wrongdoing.

But permission to use a vehicle does not answer the financial question: How much does the public pay for that arrangement?

This concern has already come up at County Hall

In 2013, commissioners considered restricting take-home vehicles for future police hires to employees living in Miami-Dade. That proposal failed.

The discussion included concerns about Miami-Dade resources providing a visible police presence in other counties. Officials also stated that participating officers paid $50 per pay period toward fuel and maintenance, and that vehicle use outside the county was limited to travel between home and work.

Those statements describe the program at that time. They do not establish today’s rules, employee contributions or costs.

Taxpayers deserve current numbers

Miami-Dade Police transitioned to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office in January 2025. The current agency should explain how its take-home vehicle program works today.

The questions are straightforward:

• Are take-home commutes from Ave Maria and elsewhere in Collier County currently permitted?

• Are there mileage limits or special approval requirements?

• How many vehicles are authorized for out-of-county commuting?

• What do employees contribute?

• How much do those contributions cover compared with fuel, maintenance and vehicle replacement costs?

• What measurable benefit does Miami-Dade receive from allowing these longer commutes?

Recruitment and emergency readiness may be valid reasons for the program. If those benefits justify the expense, the agency should explain that with records and numbers.

Make the policy and costs public

The Sheriff’s Office should publish its current take-home vehicle rules, geographic restrictions, employee contribution schedule and available cost information.

Residents can also request those existing records, including the number of authorized vehicles in Collier County and any reports evaluating the program’s costs and benefits. Officers’ private home addresses are not needed to examine the policy.

I’m raising this because public spending deserves public scrutiny. Whether a program is authorized and whether it is a good deal for taxpayers are two different questions.

Miami-Dade taxpayers deserve to know what they are paying for—and what they receive in return.

Public records and sources

Miami-Dade County resolution R-1392-06 (December 5, 2006): https://www.miamidade.gov/govaction/matter.asp?file=true&fileAnalysis=false&matter=062378&yearFolder=Y2006

Miami-Dade County legislative file 130372, including April 2, 2013 commission proceedings: https://www.miamidade.gov/govaction/matter.asp?file=true&fileAnalysis=false&matter=130372&yearFolder=Y2013

Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office transition overview: https://www.miamidade.gov/police/library/2024-mdso-review.pdf