Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office actively recruiting new deputies with special one-day application process

The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office is actively recruiting new deputies, with Sheriff Rosie Cordero Stutz calling on men and women to join the force and fill vacancies. The office is streamlining the application process, offering a one-day "headstart" event where orientation, physical fitness, and background checks will be conducted, with all fees waived.

Jorge Diaz is one of 191 cadets currently in training. "A lot of people in this profession are very selfless and are in it for the right reasons," Diaz said. "If anybody just won't take a step back and look back, they'll see that." He added, "I had a different career path, and I decided to do this, and I've never been happier to help people."

According to MDSO, the office has roughly 3,800 sworn deputies but is seeking more.

Sheriff Cordero Stutz acknowledged the national challenge of low recruitment numbers. "I have to recognize their places in this country where the numbers are down; that is a real problem," she said. "We have been fortunate in being able to keep our numbers higher than the application process, so for us, this is our attempt in order to make this process go quicker and smoother, so we're able to get those vacancies filled."

The special one-day application process is the first of its kind for the department.

"The bottom line is, you have to have the heart to want to do this job. You have to want to serve your community, and that's the thing that all agencies have in common as we're looking for that person to come out and give their all to their community," said Robin Pinkard, MDSO.

The event will be held Saturday, March 28, at the MDSO training facility in Doral. Applicants must be 21 years of age or older.