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Miami-Dade PD's Former Top Cop Takes On New Job

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Miami-Dade Police Department's former director has taken on a new job as the deputy chief of the police department at the University of Pittsburgh.

Jim Loftus, who spent two years in the director position and 30 years as an officer with the Miami-Dade Police Department, retired last year.  At that time, Loftus said he planned to enjoy more time with his wife and two daughters.

Loftus is a Pennsylvania native.

CBS4 news partner, The Miami Herald, reports Loftus spent last week walking the campus and reassuring parents the school would do its best to keep incoming students safe.

"The pace is a lot slower, and those are the things I missed," Loftus, 57, told the paper. "It sounds kind of corny, but I didn't get to do enough of the walk-and-talk stuff as a police officer."

Loftus was known for being plain-spoken and earnest. He drew praise for guiding the department through difficult times, including the shooting deaths of two officers and a budget crisis.

(©2013 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. 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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.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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