Miami-Dade Police Director Juan Perez Announces Retirement

MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Juan Perez, Director of the Miami-Dade Police Department, announced his retirement via Twitter on Friday afternoon.

Director Perez spent the last four years leading the largest law enforcement agency in the Southeastern United States.

Here is what Director Juan Perez had to say:

"Today, I am officially announcing my retirement as Director of the Miami-Dade Police Department effective January 12, 2020.

My family and I have decided that the time has come to move on to the next chapter of our lives. As such, I wanted to take this opportunity to sincerely thank you for the opportunity to serve this wonderful community for the last 29 1/2 years, with the last four years being highlighted as your police director.

I'm extremely proud of what we have achieved together during my tenure as Director and I assure you we have been succession planning for some time. The Miami-Dade Police Department and our community is lucky to have many professional and committed law enforcement leaders within its ranks ready to take on any challenges that we may face. I have full faith and confidence in the ability of Deputy Director Alfredo Ramirez and the Department's executive command staff to lead the Miami-Dade Police Department going forward and into the future. I will miss you all.

Thank you for allowing me to serve you. Forever grateful."

Perez had been with the department for nearly 30 years. He was first appointed to lead the agency in February 2016.

"We knew this day was coming, but it's still bittersweet because Director Perez has been a strong, visionary leader who has instituted key training and new technology that have made the Miami-Dade Police Department a national model," Mayor Gimenez said Friday. "Most important, the initiatives he spearheaded have made our community safer, continued to reduce the crime rate and saved lives."

Perez told CBS4's Amber Diaz, "You know it's a decision I made with the family."

"It's been a tough four years because I engage so much that I'm physically tired at this point but I'm so after the break I'll jump back into something important," he added.

Miami-Dade County officials said these were some of his accomplishments:

-Successful implementation of body-worn cameras for police and continual training to ensure transparency and protect everyone involved in situations leading to arrests.

-Placing officers at more than 100 public primary schools so that all schools in unincorporated areas of the County have police protection following the Parkland school shootings in Broward County.

-An increase in community policing and in training so that police know how to detect and deal with people in crisis situations who may suffer from mental or emotional problems or have medical conditions such as autism.

-New neighborhood-focused programs that have reduced youth violence, committing MDPD officers, civic leaders and community groups to take a holistic approach to work together with families and high-risk youth.

-The use of new technology, such as Shot-Spotter, license-plate readers and enhanced video at MDPD's Real-Time Center so that officers can respond quickly when shots are fired on our streets.

-A community-wide focus to end the synthetic opioid and heroin crisis that began a few years ago.

-Creation of the Police Priority Response Team, a specially trained unit that was formed after the Parkland shootings to respond quickly to incidents that can result in mass casualties.

Perez's announcement comes a few weeks after receiving backlash after his officers opened fire in a shootout with thieves on Miramar Parkway, where two innocent people were killed.

Perez backed his men in a recent interview with CBS4.

He assures he was not pressured to step down. He says it's simply a decision that's been on hold.

"After a crisis, we learn from them and we lead."

"There are always different ways people are going to view things. but this has nothing to do for my decision for my families decision it's time to really step back and just breathe for a little bit."

Gimenez says it's going to take a lot to fill his shoes.

"I'm sad to see him go I think the committee will be sad to see them go but they are very good people that work for Miami-Dade Police Department and I'll be announcing my choice for the new director very soon."