Miami Commissioners choose former Police Major Antonio Diaz as city’s IG

The city of Miami has its first inspector general in former Miami Police Maj. Antonio “Tony” Diaz, who retired from the department after 33 years in June. This is who the commissioners have chosen to be their independent watchdog.
¡Pero por supuesto! Did you think they were really going to tie their own hands?
Diaz is, by all accounts, a great guy with a clean record who is fair and friendly. So maybe he should just enjoy his retirement. Because it might be an emotional battle for him to investigate his old pals, bosses and colleagues. And when he does, there could be accusations of some bad blood or something. It’s just not smart to go with such an obvious insider choice.
Read related: Retired Miami Police Maj. Tony Diaz could be named city’s Inspector General
It’s not like the city had a lot of prospects, though. Two of the eligible applicants withdrew. Suddenly, they were no longer interested for whatever reason. Did they know the fix was in? Another candidate was not selected for an interview by the selection committee. The four finalists on the shortlist that were interviewed May 29 were Diaz, Christopher Paul Failla, a U.S. Navy vet who worked at the Office of Inspector General for the Architect of the Capital, which preserves and maintains the historic buildings, monuments, art and inspirational gardens on the Capitol campus; Karuna Khilnani, who worked as assistant to the city’s auditor general, a position that was eliminated by voters when they approved the IG instead; and Adam Layton, assistant special agent in charge at OIG for the Department of Health and Human Services.
But Diaz was better?
Yes, according to the selection committee, which was comprised of a bunch of professional people that Ladra does not like to be second-guessing. They are:

Miami-Dade Assistant State Attorney Howard Rosen, chief of Special Prosecutions office.
Judith Bernier, an associate teaching professor at the School of International and Public Affairs at Florida International University and director of the Center for Labor Research and Studies. She is also chair of the Miami-Dade commission on Ethics and Public Trust where she has served since May of 2014.
John Vecchio, special agent in charge at the FDLE, where he’s worked for almost 28 years. He also worked as an adjunct professor at the Institute of Public Safety at Broward College.
Miami-Dade Public Defender Carlos J. Martinez, elected in 2008, and re-elected in 2012, 2016, 2020 and 2024 without opposition. The first Cuban-American Public Defender and the only elected Hispanic public defender in the U.S. He manages an office of about 400 employees, handling approximately 75,000 cases each year.
West Miami Police Chief Pedro “Pete” Delgado, who has been with the tiny department for almost 24 years.

These are not a bunch of yahoos that don’t know the ramifications of picking the wrong person. So Ladra is going to give them the benefit of the doubt. But there’s still doubt.
After all, Chief Manny Morales and the leadership at the police union are fans.
Almost 80% of the voters approved of establishing an inspector general’s office last August. And Ladra can’t help but wonder if this is what they had in mind. Is he really going to be a watchdog or is he going to be more like a lookout?
The unanimous vote at the July 24 meeting means that City Manager Art Noriega — who probably should be investigate for a number of things — will negotiate the contract with Diaz, which will include his salary and benefits package. The contract will be for four years and Diaz can only be fired without cause by a four-fifths vote, according to the resolution.
The city’s estimated budget for the inspector general’s office in 2025-26 is $2.1 million,
Read related: Miami voters win on inspector general, lose on ‘outdoor gym’ referendum
“I’ve always worked with purpose and the reason I want this position and am interested in this position is really to make a difference,” Diaz told the commissioners at the July 24 meeting, adding that his track record — which includes a stint as head of internal affairs — has shown he does not play sides.
“My investigation is always going to be based on facts and not influence. I am not going to intertwine this office with any politics,” Diaz said. From the podium. At a commission meeting. At City Hall.
And Ladra also hopes he meant investigations, plural.
“I’m going to do the right thing for you and for the city of Miami,” Diaz told the commission, as if those two things could coexist.
We should see soon enough. This is not a position that will take very long to get tested.
The post Miami Commissioners choose former Police Major Antonio Diaz as city’s IG appeared first on Political Cortadito.

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