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Nov 18, 2009 11:08 pm US/Eastern
Sources: Timoney's Replacement To Be Maj. Exposito
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
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Miguel Exposito, Miami Police
CBS
CBS4 News has learned Miami Police Major Miguel Exposito will be named the new Chief of Police for the City of Miami as early as Thursday, according to two sources who spoke to
CBS4's Michael Williams.
Wednesday night, members of the Fraternal Order of Police were holding their regular meeting. As they came out they expressed being glad with the choice.
"Everybody is happy about it," said Sgt. Javier Ortiz. "We're gonna get a new chief, it's gonna be a new start, a new beginning, something that everybody needs here."
Exposito will replace John Timoney who turned in his "letter of retirement" last week. Chief Timoney had said he would stay on until January 15th. Chief Timoney announced his intent to retire the night before Tomás Regalado was sworn in as the new Mayor of Miami. Regalado has been a vocal critic of Chief Timoney and his desire to replace him as chief was well-known before he took office last week.
Exposito, 55, is a 35-year veteran with long ties to Mayor Regalado. He started with the police department in 1974 at the age of 19. He was in the department's first class of public service aides. While with the department, he went to night school at Barry University where he graduated with a bachelor's degree.
"I think he's a great guy and has a world of experience. So he will make a good chief--if that's the chief," said Armando Aguilar President of the FOP.
He worked as a major in the Internal Affairs unit and also in the department's Special Investigations Section and Criminal Investigations Section.
As a captain in 2000, he filed a whistle-blower lawsuit saying he was unfairly demoted for complaining about alleged dossiers on elected officials being kept by the police department. He also said the demotion came because he supported bringing in the FBI to investigate a police gun-planting incident following the 1997 shooting of a homeless man in Coconut Grove.
In 2002, he reached a settlement with the city. Timoney promoted him to major. He oversees the compliance task force, which deals with quality of life issues and the city's property section.
The process of selecting a chief was a little different this time around. Four officers were believed to be candidates for the job, but none were interviewed. Mayor Regalado said their history speaks for itself. "Because the understanding is that these are soldiers. The past history with their troops shows the future," Regalado said.
Regalado maintains the highly unusual hiring process is not unusual for city manager Pete Hernandez.
"The fact that no one was interviewed during this process, what do you think about that," asked
CBS4's David Sutta. FOP's Aguilar responded, "I don't know that. We do know that. Oh, well, no comment. I don't know how they decided to come up with that name."
So far, there's no word on when he'll be sworn as Miami's new top cop.
(© MMIX CBS Television Stations. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald contributed material for this report)
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