MIAMI (CBS4) -- Johnny Simms, the career criminal who shot and killed two Miami-Dade police officers Thursday, had a long history of being accused of serious crime, but never did much serious time.

Simms went from a teenager to a young adult having his mug shot taken and being hauled up in court on crimes including armed robbery, armed car-jacking, burglary, and cocaine dealing - to name a few. CBS4's news partner the Miami Herald reports Simm's first arrest was for dealing pot in high school.

Four times Simms was charged with armed robbery. He was convicted in only one of the robbery cases and did a couple of years in state prison. Soon after being released in 2009, he was charged in yet another armed robbery.

He was eventually sentenced to just one year, but served only a month after credit for time in jail waiting for his case to be disposed of, according to the Herald.

Within a month of his most recent release, on October 16th, police say Simms shot and killed a man in an Overtown parking lot who had offended him by speaking disrespectfully to Simm's sister.

Police were trying to serve a warrant for Simm's arrest in the October murder Thursday when he shot and killed officers Roger Castillo and Amanda Haworth.

"Criminals don't fear the justice system here in Miami Dade County," said Sgt. John Rivera, President of the Police Benevolent Association. "They know it's a joke."

Rivera blamed prosecutors who would rather strike plea agreements than take serious offenders to trial. He was also critical of judges who he said "need to reject some of these hideous plea bargains that are being offered."

Rivera said there are "thousands and thousands just like Simms who are roaming our streets right now," and called the criminal justice system in Miami-Dade a "safe haven for criminals."

Police were not alone in criticizing the system's handling of Simms' prior, serious cases.

"Some judge missed their calling," said the Rev. Jerome Starling of Jordan Grove Baptist Church, a community activist. "He should have received life!"

Starling also "called out" his own community, saying he's convinced that some were aware Simms was being sought for the October murder, and did not turn him in.

"I call out the community because I'm angry," Starling said. "We have people in our community that are covering up for these people, they are covering up."

Ed Griffith, a spokesman for the Miami-Dade State Attorney's office, said he could not speak on details in every prior case involving Simms, because records would first have to be reviewed.

Griffith did say, however, that one of the armed robbery cases against Simms was dropped for lack of sufficient evidence to tie him to the crime. In another case, Griffith said a judge sentenced Simms as a youthful offender - giving him a more lenient sentence - over the objections of prosecutors.

Simms mother, Lorraine Simms, told CBS4's Gary Nelson Friday that she was unaware police were looking for her son until they officers came to her home Thursday.

She said she could have been a better mother to her son.

"I'm going to always feel like there was something I could have said and did more," she said.