Media Requests

The Public Information and Education Bureau (PIEB) includes the Public Information Section, the Special Projects Section, the Awards and Executive Projects Section, the Community and Youth Outreach Section, the Pedestrian Safety Section and the Administrative Section.

The Public Information Section (PIS) is responsible for coordinating the MDPD's response to media inquiries. News releases are prepared and transmitted through a computerized fax system and live interviews are conducted in English and Spanish.  PIS personnel respond to critical scenes, issue news releases, and give television and radio interviews. Several high-profile incidents have provided PIS detectives with the opportunity to become highly proficient in this specialized field.

The Special Projects section handles various departmental events and create the monthly newsletter "Alert," while the Pedestrian Safety Section educates citizens on roadway safety. 

The Awards and Executive Projects Section coordinates the departmental Employee Recognition Program and submits nominations for external law enforcement recognition awards sponsored by local, national, and international organizations.

The Community and Youth Outreach Section run various community based programs such as Dare/Pal program, DUI Mobile Educational Center, Citizen's Police Academy, Crime Stoppers and the Gun Bounty program.

Crime Stoppers is a community action program that encourages citizens to become involved in the fight against crime. The TIPS line (305-471-TIPS) for Crime Stoppers of Dade County is answered by officers from the Miami-Dade Department.

After Hours Media Inquiries

MDPD's Public Information Section staff acts in compliance with federal and state public record laws and in the best interest of the department, news media, and the residents and visitors of Miami-Dade County.  Routine media inquiries and records requests are handled as expeditiously as possible during normal business hours -- Monday through Friday  8 a.m. to 11 p.m.

After hours and on weekends, a Public Information Officer (PIO) is always on-call for emergencies and for significant breaking news events. After hours, the on-call PIO will generally not have information regarding routine police cases. In addition, on-call PIOs are not available to provide updated information about previous cases, or details regarding incidents that are primarily being handled by other agencies.

Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD) on-call PIOs should be contacted after hours, only for emergencies and significant, breaking news events that are being primarily handled by MDPD. On-call personnel change on a scheduled basis. Therefore, the most efficient way to reach a PIO after hours is to call MDPD's Communications Bureau Shift Commander at 305-596-8176 and request that the on-call PIO be called out.

MDPD Communications Bureau Staff will only contact a PIO when the incident meets criteria for a call-out. To ensure proper and timely response, media should not attempt to directly contact PIOs via their cell phones. On-call procedures require that PIOs respond to after hours requests received by the MDPD Communications Bureau Shift Commander.

Written records, including incident reports and other department documents, are not available after hours. All public record requests must be made during normal business hours.

Entities under Public Information and Education Bureau

• Special Project Section
• Gun Bounty Program