Retired Miami Police Maj. Tony Diaz could be named city’s Inspector General
Posted by Admin on Jul 23, 2025 in Fresh Colada, Miami Police, News | 0 commentsCommission already took the bite out of the watchdog
Miami voters did what they were supposed to last year. They turned out at the ballot box in August and voted overwhelmingly — by a margin of 79% to 21% — for a truly independent Inspector General to root out shady shenanigans at City Hall.
But guess what? Voters aren’t going to get what they voted for.
The city commission, which quickly voted last fall to limit the new IG’s powers, may appoint someone Thursday to the position to detect, investigate and prevent fraud, waste, mismanagement, misconduct and abuse of power — which is a busy job in Miami. They might need two IGs. And the name they are getting is someone familiar: Antonio G.Diaz, a retired major with the Miami Police Department with 33 years on the force, including a stint heading internal affairs, before he retired in June.
Oh absolutely, let’s hand the keys to the watchdog office to the same guy who spent 33 years inside the very kennel we’re now asking him to patrol. What better way to ensure independence than by appointing someone who’s been marinating in the same culture for three decades? I mean, who needs fresh eyes or distance from internal politics when you can get someone who probably knows exactly which file cabinets to avoid and which rugs have things swept under them?
Read related: Miami Commission considers Inspector General question on August ballot
And, since he ran internal affairs — which is not a political department at all, right? — he’s already an expert at handling complaints… internally. Quietly. Discreetly. Just the way commissioners like it. Who better to not rock the boat than someone who helped build the boat, paint the boat, and possibly patch up a few bullet holes in the hull?
Miami Polic Chief Manny Morales with Maj. Tony Diaz after Diaz announced his retirement last month.
Because, really, nothing screams “independent oversight” like putting a longtime insider in charge of investigating his former colleagues, supervisors, and friends — many of whom may have been at his retirement party just last month.
It’s like asking the bartender to do a surprise sobriety check on his favorite drinking buddies. What could possibly go wrong?
It doesn’t exactly instill public trust, which is what the late Commissioner Manolo Reyes wanted to do when he first proposed putting the IG office to voters early last year.
This is not against Diaz, the man. Everyone that Ladra spoke to had nice things to say about Tony. He’s smart. Likable. Fair. Someone you want to work with. He’s dedicated. He started as a police explorer in the 80s, volunteering hundreds of hours to the city before officially joining the department as a police officer in 1992.
Growing through the ranks to major, Diaz worked in many divisions, including professional compliance, investigations, personnel resource management, and, finally IA. His career was “defined by purpose, progress and principled leadership,” wrote the Fraternal Order of Police in Facebook when he retired. Again, last month. Like Diaz knew he had another job waiting.
“Antonio earned a reputation for being a humble and steady leader — one who led by example, mentored the next generation, and embraced innovation to improve systems and strengthen public trust. Drawing on transformational leadership models, his style prioritized psychological safety, empowerment, and collaboration-creating space for others to grow and lead with confidence,” the post reads.
Of course, this is the same police union that endorsed former Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla in 2023 — after he was arrested for bribery and money laundering, charges that were eventually dropped. So, what do they know?
Read related: Despite arrest, Alex Diaz de la Portilla scores FOP endorsement in D1 race
It’s not like Maj. Diaz is going to be able to do very much, anyway. When the city commission approves his appointment Thursday, he will be beholden to them. It’s like the foxes hiring the henhouse inspector.
And that’s the idea. They don’t want an independent watchdog. That’s why they shortened the leash in October, less than two months after voters approved the office, with all kinds of restrictions on what could be investigated. Voters wanted an OIG who could inspect, investigate, illuminate. What they are going to get is a muzzled figurehead who can’t even look under the rug without a sworn affidavit from someone with first-hand knowledge.
No whispers. No media reports. No tips. No anonymous sources. The IG can’t even initiate an investigation from something he or she saw and heard during a city commission meeting. There has to be an official complaint, on the record, under oath, with someone’s full name, Social Security number, and, possibly, blood type.
Ladra is surprised they don’t have to ride in on a unicorn.
This has a chilling effect: A city employee who sees something suspicious and wants to do the right thing will think twice about it. And that’s not by accident.
Meanwhile, at the county level, we’ve had a real inspector general for decades who actually gets to, you know, investigate. The Miami-Dade Office of Inspector General was established by ordinance in 1997 and inserted into the county charter through a voter-approved referendum in 2020, solidifying its independence. The charter amendment requires a referendum to abolish the OIG, giving the office greater protection from political interference.
The county OIG has also had an interlocal agreement with Miami-Dade County Public Schools to serve as its independent investigative branch, for a price of $1.2 million a year, which is what it costs to staff a squad for them. It can’t cost county taxpayers. Miami city commissioners last year discussed negotiating a similar deal.
Miami Dade IG Felix Jimenez told Political Cortadito that he met once last year with City Manager Art Noriega for “very preliminary discussions” about doing the same thing in Miami for the same price. “But there were no further communications.”
It’s just as well. “At the end of the day, my responsibility is to the county,” Jimenez told Ladra, adding that they have limited resources and staff. “Im hesitant to enter into another interlocal agreement, especially if it’s short term.”
Jimenez, who has been with the Miami-Dade OIG since 2009, also said he has met with Diaz and has offered the county’s assistance in setting up shop. “We’re the big brother on the block,” said Jimenez, who served as third vice president of the Association of Inspectors General, a national organization that provides education and mentorship.
The county’s IG office got over 500 complaints in 2023 — obviously they were not all sworn — and only pursued a little more than a dozen — because that’s how it works. You weed out the garbage. You follow the smoke. You look under the hood. If you find nada, that’s okay, too. But you won’t find anything if you’re not looking.
Read related: Commissioner Miguel Gabela set to expose more Bayfront Park Trust issues
The IG exists to look into the shenanigans that everyone knows are going on in Miami. Maybe Commissioner Joe Carollo would have been caught dipping into the Bayfront Park Management Trust sooner if there had already been an inspector. Maybe we would finally know what happened with those federally-funded COVID gift cards that disappeared.
The post has a deterrent effect, as well. Maybe the city manager wouldn’t have bought so much furniture from his wife.
And while everyone agrees that Diaz is a great guy, and several sources told Ladra that she will not find any skeletons in his personnel jacket or IA file (which have been requested), the same sources did say — unprompted, every single one of them — that he may have some difficulty challenging those he might still consider his superiors. Diaz respects authority a little too much to really question it. And he may not have the stomach to blow the whistle on people he’s worked with for 20-some, 30-some years, they say.
And that, mi gente, is exactly what the commission wants. Someone familiar. Someone safe. Someone who already knows how to look the other way and call it “procedural discretion.” Because heaven forbid we get a real outsider with no loyalties, no agenda, and no stake in the game to really dig into what’s rotting at City Hall.
Instead, after 80% of the voters asked for real oversight, transparency, accountability, what they’re getting may be a loyal soldier in a new uniform, saluting the same old power structure.
The post Retired Miami Police Maj. Tony Diaz could be named city’s Inspector General appeared first on Political Cortadito.
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