Public Information and Education Bureau

The Operations Support Section handles various departmental events, as well as the Special Projects Unit. Additionally, the Section is responsible for the School Crossing Guard Program. The School Crossing Guard Program is comprised of over 500 School Crossing Guards who are responsible for the safe crossing of children at over 540 busy crosswalk posts, located at over 118 public elementary schools throughout Miami-Dade County.

Special Projects Unit

The Special Projects Unit (SPU) is an in-house public relations center which provides support to PIEB, departmental entities, law enforcement agencies, and the community by establishing and maintaining methods of positive communication which encourage employee and citizen understanding, cooperation, and support.

Internally, the Unit augments communications within the Department. Externally, it serves as a public relations vehicle which promotes support to departmental entities and performs liaison activities with other law enforcement agencies and the community.

SPU personnel offer consultation and technical expertise in areas of concept development, establishment of target audience and projected program impact, technical research, writing, and editing; desktop publishing, creative graphic design and layout; computer-related assistance; photography; professional printing and mass distribution procedures.

The SPU also promotes and administers an array of departmental and community-based projects and events. They serve as active committee members and provide administrative, operational, and logistical support to various fundraising and County-endorsed programs.

The following are just some of the campaign, projects, and activities conducted by the SPU:

• Alert newsletter
• Departmental review
• PIEB/Departmental publications
• United Way campaign
• United Way Cabinet
• March of Dimes March for Babies
• March of Dimes Appreciation
• Making Strides Against Breast Cancer campaign
• Habitat for Humanity Blitz Build
• National Kidney Foundation Kidney Walk
• Promotional ceremonies
• Dade County Association of Chiefs of Police
• Police Officer Assistance Trust
• Police Memorial Ceremony
• Miami-Dade County Employee Appreciation Day
• Headquarters Blood Drives

To inquire further about the SPU programs and activities, please contact Special Projects Administrator Allison Bishop-Cooner, at 305-471-1751, or email her at [email protected].

The Community and Youth Outreach Section runs various community based programs, including:

• Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.)
• Crime Prevention Display Vehicle
• The Police Explorer Program
• Students Together Against Negative Decision (STAND)
• The Student Internship Program
• The Citizen's Police Academy
• Police Athletic League (PAL)
• The DUI Mobile Educational Center
• The MDPD Pedestrian Educational Specialists
• The Gun Bounty Program
• Crime prevention programs

The Section provides various other services to schools and community organizations throughout Miami-Dade County. The highly successful D.A.R.E. program reaches over 10,000 students in Miami-Dade each year. The Miami-Dade PAL afterschool program reaches over 20,000 children each year by involving them in a variety of sports, games, educational activities, and various events. STAND, geared toward high school youths, reaches over 90,000 students each year.

In addition, the Section monitors the Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers line. Crime Stoppers is a community action program that encourages citizens to become involved in the fight against crime, while remaining completely anonymous, with the possibility of receiving a cash reward. The Crime Stoppers TIPS line is 305-471-TIPS (8477), or 1-866-471-8477. For more information, please visit Crime Stoppers of Miami-Dade and the Florida Keys.

The Media Relations Section is responsible for:

• Coordinating MDPD's response to media inquiries
• Conducting live and pre-recorded interviews in English and Spanish, for television, print, and radio media
• Responding to critical scenes, gather information, issue news releases, and disseminate information to the community through various media outlets
• Monitoring all news feeds, recording and cataloging all pertinent information as it relates to MDPD and Miami-Dade County
• Facilitating visiting television and motion picture production companies to ensure accurate information is portrayed about MDPD and Miami-Dade County
• The MDPD social media presence, including the departmental Facebook page, Twitter feed, Instagram and YouTube account, fostering direct and positive relationships with the community
• Coordinating the departmental Employee Recognition Program and submitting nominations for external law enforcement recognition awards sponsored by local, state, national, and international organizations
• Contributing to the MDPD quarterly Alert newsletter

After Hours / On-Call Policy

Routine media inquiries and public records requests are handled as expeditiously as possible during normal business hours, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. After hours and on weekends, a Public Information Officer (PIO) is always available on-call for emergencies and for significant breaking news events. In order to reach the on-call PIO, please contact the MDPD's Communications Bureau Shift Commander, at 305-596-8176, and request that the on-call MDPD PIO be called out.

Please be advised, from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. there is limited staffing to cover the Bureau phone line. If you are unable to reach a PIO by phone, you may contact the Shift Commander.

The Special Projects Unit (SPU) is an in-house public relations center which provides support to PIEB, departmental entities, law enforcement agencies, and the community by establishing and maintaining methods of positive communication which encourage employee and citizen understanding, cooperation, and support. Internally, the Unit augments communications within the Department. Externally, it serves as a public relations vehicle which promotes support to departmental entities and performs liaison activities with other law enforcement agencies and the community.

SPU personnel offer consultation and technical expertise in areas of concept development, establishment of target audience and projected program impact, technical research, writing, and editing; desktop publishing, creative graphic design and layout; computer-related assistance; photography; professional printing and mass distribution procedures.

The SPU also promotes and administers an array of departmental and community based projects and events. They serve as active committee members and provide administrative, operational, and logistical support to various fund-raising and County endorsed programs.

The following are just some of the campaign, projects, and activities conducted by the SPU:

SPU handles publicity, publications, administrative correspondence, appointment scheduling and operational tasks associated with these events:

• Alert Newsletter
• Departmental Review
• PIEB/Departmental Publications
• United Way Campaign
• United Way Cabinet
• March of Dimes (MOD) March For Babies
• MOD Appreciation
• Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Campaign
• Habitat For Humanity Blitz Build
• National Kidney Foundation Kidney Walk
• Promotional Ceremonies
• Dade County Association of Chiefs of Police
• Police Officer Assistance Trust
• Police Memorial Ceremony
• Miami-Dade County Employee Appreciation Day
• Headquarters Blood Drives