New Miami Beach Police Chief Wayne Jones gives us look at man behind badge
MIAMI - Newly appointed Miami Beach Police Chief Wayne Jones gives CBS News Miami the first look at the man behind the badge.
Jones sat down exclusively with Joe Gorchow to discuss the historical appointment last week and his vision for the department's future.
"I was flooded with emotion, really flooded with emotion," said Jones. "Still trying to wrap my head around it. I never imagined becoming a police of this wonderful organization."
Next month, the 27-year department veteran will become the city's first Black police chief.
Gorchow asks, Who was your first call after it became official?
"I called my dad," said Jones. "I thought it was important that he know."
Years earlier, when Jones was a teen living in South Florida, his dad advised him to stay away from Miami Beach because of perceived racial tensions.
"He was told that because there is this perception that if you're young and black and male driving through these cities at any given time, you could be arbitrarily stopped, ticketed, and or maybe even arrested simply because of the color of your skin," said Jones.
Gorchow: What do you think is the perception of how people of color, African-Americans, are treated by the police department here in Miami Beach?
"It's changed significantly because this is not the police department of 50 years ago," added Jones.
He attributes that to internal accountability.
"We're always striving to get better at what we do," said Jones.
Jones mentions the department underwent retraining after a 2021 incident. Five Miami Beach officers were arrested for using excessive force on a handcuffed Black man and another Black bystander filming.
"There's some things that were done that should not have been done," said Jones. "The entire organization now has to go through a process to intervene. If the most junior police officer sees the most senior seasoned veteran doing something he or she should not be doing, that police officer has to intervene, stop them."
Gorchow: "What would you have been doing if you were not a police
officer?"
Jones: "I had ambitions and fantasies of becoming an airline pilot, but this is much better."
His love for flying is evident, with pictures of planes hanging on the wall and model planes placed throughout his office.
"I fly on a weekly basis," said Jones. "Focusing on the moment, and being present, sometimes at one with the aircraft.
He's focusing on his moment. The city commission unanimously named Jones the 21st chief in department history. He received a round of applause and cheers when he was confirmed. The applause came with concerns from at least one city leader about the current issues plaguing Miami Beach.
Gorchow: Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez said in a statement that "there is no law and order" when referring to the city of Miami Beach. And that "there's open drug dealing on the streets."
Jones: "If the city is ever going to overcome spring break, as we know it today, it's gonna take a comprehensive and collective effort."
Gorchow: The mayor himself, Dan Gelber, called Spring Break "too rowdy."
Jones: "We've got a number of initiatives on the horizon where we're putting more police officers on the street at any given time to address this sort of in-your-face, street level, drug activity, increasing visibility with putting more police officers on the street because we want people that live here to come here to visit, to feel safe by seeing police officers around."
Jones adds leveraging technology will also assist in decreasing violent incidents during Spring Break.
"So, we have hundreds and hundreds of camera reviews throughout Ocean Drive in the Art Deco Cultural district," said Jones. "Sort of a force multiplier. I think that makes a huge difference."
Jones adds working with business owners to understand the greater good will help reduce violent episodes during spring break, mentioning crime rates have dropped yearly in the city over the last decade.