It Started from Day One

By Dwight Snyder, Police Chief & Fred Maas, Retired Police Chief

(August 31, 2020) – In times of turmoil it can be comforting to hear from another longstanding member of our Sunny Isles Beach family. This month, I am handing my space over to former SIBPD Chief Fred Maas, the original force behind building our department from the ground up, who requested to write a message to Sunny Isles Beach residents. – Chief Snyder

First and foremost, I am grateful to Chief Snyder and City Manager Russo for the opportunity to respond to a recent article in the SIBislander, the article written by Vice Mayor Svechin, a wonderfully supportive article, regarding the community support for our police officers during these challenging times. From day one, 1998, I was asked to build a police department that would make a difference in the community we serve in Sunny Isles Beach. That was the single goal by our first Mayor and City Commission. That philosophy has carried on through two successive mayors and numerous commission members.

In order to accomplish that, we initiated a demand of all our police hires: ‘Service Above and Beyond’ with a ‘How Can I Help You’ attitude. As simple as that. It was a search into the heart and soul of every potential officer to ensure that they would buy into our promise to our community, the entire community as diverse as we are.

The response? Well you have seen it, read about it, and hopefully you have experienced it! And though we have made mistakes, we have learned from them, which has only strengthened our ‘How Can I Help You’ goal.

I salute the founding officers still on the job, the newer officers who have come on board since 1998, the current administration of the Police Department and yes, the City Commission and community both for supporting this two-way street and embracing one another. We have something special in Sunny Isles Beach that others envy and admire! God Bless and Be Safe!