CBS4 Exclusive: Longtime Homestead Police chief on resolution to honor him
HOMESTEAD - Longtime Homestead Police Chief Alexander E. Rolle Jr. is speaking out about a resolution before the City Council to honor him by naming the police station after him.
Homestead City Councilman Larry Roth has proposed a resolution to be voted on Wednesday at City Hall to add Rolle's name to the outside of the station which would become known as the "Alexander E. Rolle, Jr. Homestead Police station."
On Wednesday night, the council voted unanimously 7-0 to pass the resolution and Roth called the Chief "an amazing man."
The resolution says Rolle "served as a compassionate and caring leader and was committed to improving the lives of Homestead residents" and had "an immeasurable positive impact" with his "Lifelong commitment."
In an exclusive interview with CBS4's Peter D'Oench, Rolle said, "In all honesty it is shocking. I never dreamed this would happen. I am honored and I am humbled. It's an honor and I am blessed as well."
The 72-year-old Rolle joined the Homestead Police Department in 1979 and has been Chief for the past 25 years. The city says he is the longest-standing police chief in the state of Florida. He is the city's first African-American Chief and supervises 127 officers and a total of 211 employees in the department. Newspaper clippings about him and photographs and awards adorn the offices in the police station. The city says Rolle has been responsible for hiring most of his department's employees.
Rolle said, "Being born in the Homestead-Florida City area my whole philosophy when I got here was to make sure throughout that people are treated equally in the community because when I grew up people of my color were not allowed to cross Mowry Street."
He said, "My father didn't have a racist bone in his body. He was a caring person and he always treated people the way he wanted to be treated. I grew up and he instilled those values in me. Everyone matters and I always tell my police officers when they are out on the street you should treat someone the way you want them to treat your mother or father or brother and sister. Treat them like someone you love and they won't make a mistake."
Rolle has no plans to retire anytime soon.
He said, "The reason I am still here is that the people in the police department want me to stay here and the people in the community want me to stay here. My whole philosophy is to make sure that people are safe and take care of the elderly and take care of kids and make sure that people in this city when they call for police they respond in a professional manner and treat people respectfully."
Rolle said he tries to hire officers with an investment in the community.
"Even when the George Floyd incident happened we had no problems in this community," he said. "That's because the people here, they are from here and they know how we police. So therefore the people that are here, they have family here and they have friends here. So they know how we operate."
Rolle said he is devoted to his wife and 7 grandchildren and 4 children.
He said two of his sons are in law enforcement and a 3rd son is Antrel Rolle, an All-American defensive back when he was at the University of Miami who went on to a career in the National Football League, where he won a Super Bowl ring when he played for the New York Giants.
