South Miami's new Police Chief Reo Hatfield III talks about priorities
SOUTH MIAMI - For the first time, we are hearing from South Miami's newest police chief as he is sworn in on this Monday night.
CBS News Miami's Peter D'Oench spoke exclusively with 49-year-old South Miami Police Chief Reo Hatfield III, who had been Deputy Chief in Virginia Beach, Virginia since September of 1997 and for 20 years has been a commanding officer in the Naval Criminal Investigations Service of the U.S. Navy Reserve and also served as corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1992 to 1996.
Hatfield said, "It's a long-term goal of mine to be Police Chief specifically in South Florida and having to come here to South Miami and being welcomed by our City Manager and Commissioners, it was important to get off on the right foot."
Hatfield will be in charge of 50 officers.
He said, "So, I think initially what I want to do is to listen and learn and lead. I want to learn and listen internally and externally with the community. I think it's important to understand the culture of the community."
Hatfield succeeds Rene Landa, who had been police chief since 2014. Like Landa, Hatfield says one priority is curbing car burglaries.
"I think it is important to look at violent crime staying down here in South Miami," he said. "Then also looking at car larcenies. That is an issue nationwide and then firearms being taken out of vehicles that are burglarized."
Hatfield said, "I think Chief Landa did an excellent job of community policing and from what I am hearing from our community and the commission is that they want to see our officers out in the community as much as possible."
D'Oench also spoke with South Miami residents and some of them say it is important for police to interact with the community.
Resident John Mickens said "Just more involvement with the community and giving back more opportunities for the kids. Just working with them and teaching them good morals and values. It makes a better community when we are together as one rather than separate."
Hatfield said another priority is looking out for the mental health and well-being of his officers.
He said "Officer wellness plays a very important role in law enforcement. In the past, what we have seen is that officers shy away from taking proactive measures to address their mental and physical health. It is very important to address officer wellness here in South Miami."
Another resident, Franc Torres de Navarra, said some issues are connected.
"Keeping crime down is important," he said. "Keeping officers happy will keep the crime low."
Hatfield also said "I think what I would like to do is look at recruitment and retention and make sure our hiring practice is as streamlined as it can be. I think that it's important that we not only fill vacancies but we also have our officers out there in the community."
He said, "It's been a whirlwind of activity since I have been here and I have not had a chance to speak with the former chief about some of his priorities but I hope to do in the coming week after the swearing-in ceremony about some of what his top priorities were and where he thinks we should be going."
