New Miami Police chief could have a familiar and friendly Miami-Dade face

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If you thought the Underground Railroad from Miami-Dade to the city of Miami was slowing down, think again.

With Police Chief Manuel Morales announcing he’ll retire in October — or sooner, depending on how the winds blow (more on that later) — all eyes turn to the man now holding the keys to City Hall: James Reyes. The city manager, who came from the county with the new mayor, will be responsible for choosing a new top cop. The city commission will have to approve, of course. But Reyes is the one making the pick.

And las malas lenguas are already whispering that the shortlist may look a lot like Reyes’ cell phone contacts.

Read related: Ralph Rosado says Miami Police Chief Manny Morales will run against him

Two names keep popping up. One is his current chief of staff, Joel Bello, a 22-year veteran of the Miami-Dade Police Department, working in narcotics and gang units, until he left at the rank of major in 2024 for a job with the Miami-Dade Corrections Department. He earned a law degree in between and was admitted to The Florida Bar in 2020, the same year he opened his private law firm. All while still being a cop.

In January, he became the manager’s chief of staff. But a woman who answered the office phone at Bello Law Friday said he was still working there, too. 

The other is Arnold Palmer, the county’s recently minted public safety director, who, not coincidentally, landed that gig right after Reyes left and, according to insiders, with Reyes’ blessing. He’s already told some union members that he’s got the job.

Call it a pipeline. Call it a pattern. Call it Miami.

Palmer’s trajectory is the kind that raises eyebrows in polite company and triggers group chats in political ones. A career cop with deep institutional knowledge, he’s long been known as an operations guy — the kind who understands deployment, strategy and the nuts and bolts of policing. But he’s not exactly known as a kumbaya leader. Critics inside the ranks say morale-building, team cohesion, and people management are not his strong suits.

He’s also got a blemish: He was relieved of duty almost 10 years ago after his son was arrested for dealing marijuana, cocaine and other drugs out of the home they shared. While Ladra is not sure he should be held accountable for his kids’ actions, there is something to say about the fact that he was oblivious to drug dealing in his own house. Or he knew and let it slide. Both are bad.

And then there’s the timing.

Palmer’s exit from the department came as Sheriff Rosanna “Rosie” Cordero-Stutz took over — whether you call it a firing or a “chance to resign” depends on who you ask. Either way, he lands on his feet at the county, in a role that he’s not the most qualified for — that person would be Emergency Management Director Pete Gomez — and that looks suspiciously like a resume builder for something bigger.

Like, say, Miami police chief.

If Palmer does end up crossing over, Gomez — widely seen by insiders as the more seasoned, more broadly respected public safety hand — is the name many expect to finally get the job he deserved in 2024.

Which only adds to the sense that this isn’t just about one hire — it’s about a chain reaction of power moves stretching from downtown Miami to the county line.

Then there’s Bello, the hybrid cop-lawyer who didn’t just leave the count, he followed Reyes, who ran and lost the sheriff’s race against Cordero-Stutz, to Miami. As chief of staff, Bello already controls access, messaging, and the daily rhythm of City Hall. He knows how Reyes thinks. Reyes knows how he works.

That’s just chemistry everywhere else. In Miami, that’s currency.

Read related: Miami Mayor Eileen Higgins names James Reyes warden, er, city manager

But here’s the thing: running a police department isn’t the same as running a calendar. Bello has command experience, yes. Legal chops, absolutely. But putting him in charge of the entire Miami Police Department would be a leap — one that would raise eyebrows well beyond the 305.

He’s probably better off staying at City Hall. The advice he’s getting is that it’s a better position. Maybe he can go for city manager when Reyes runs for the next thing, which is inevitable.

Of course, there’s another option. One that a growing number of outside observers — and a few inside City Hall — are quietly floating: Blow it all up and go national.

Bring in someone with no local baggage. No alliances. No old favors to repay. Someone who isn’t part of the Reyes orbit, the county orbit, the Morales orbit, or anybody’s orbit.

Yes, it’s risky. Miami has tried it before with Art Acevedo — and we all know how that ended. Even though he crashed and burned, it was only because he wouldn’t play nice with what he called the Miami Mafia at City Hall.

But that was way back when Joe Carollo and Alex Diaz de la Portilla still loomed large over Dinner Key. Back when outside chiefs didn’t just have to fight crime — they had to fight City Hall. And former Mayor Francis Suarez kind of hijacked the process, anyway.

That landscape has changed a lot since then. The mayor is new and all five commissioners are different from the ones who unanimously fired Acevedo in 2021.

Read related: Miami commission votes to oust embattled police chief Art Acevedo

So here’s the real question for Reyes: Does he go with the familiar — the trusted lieutenants who’ve already proven their loyalty? Or does he take the political risk and look beyond Miami-Dade’s well-worn bench?

Because this isn’t just about replacing a chief. It’s about whether Miami keeps hiring from the same small circle, or decides to step outside of it.

Reyes did not answer several calls to his office and his cellphone. He also did not respond to texts. Instead, he had the city spokeswoman, Helena Poleo, call Ladra back. Pero la pobre. She either doesn’t know what’s going on or she’s not allowed to talk about it.

Ladra sent eight questions by email on April 1:

“I will follow up and get back to you,” she said on Friday.

As of the posting of this article on April 11, there was no answer to a single one of the questions.

This kind of independent, government watchdog reporting is crucial to transparency and democracy. And more so every day. Help shine a light on the darker corners of our community with a contribution to Political Cortadito. Click here. Ladra thanks you for your support.