Things to know about Alfredo ‘Freddy’ Ramirez, Miami-Dade police and candidate for sheriff
Miami-Dade Police Director Alfredo “Freddy” Ramirez, recovering from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in Tampa over the weekend, is a home-grown and highly-regarded commander.
He was found injured on the side of I-75 by Tampa Police and the Florida Highway Patrol. As of Monday morning Ramirez was in “critical but stable” condition, according to Miami-Dade Police. He had been attending a convention that included the largest gathering of sheriff’s in the state of Florida. The still murky incident, which police say followed a domestic dispute at a Tampa hotel, has shocked people who knew and worked with him.
Here are some key things to know about Ramirez:
▪ Ramirez, 52, and his wife Jody were married 28 years ago. The couple have four children. One of his sons is a police officer with Miami-Dade Police. Ramirez was born in Hialeah and was raised by his parents and Cuban grandparents who had fled Fidel Castro’s regime.
▪ His Miami-Dade police career that began in 1995 and rose through the ranks from street cop to overseeing criminal investigations in the north and south ends of Miami-Dade. During his tenure, he created the North-End Street Violence Task Force, which focused on identifying, arresting and prosecuting people considered the greatest risk to the public. It became so successful, it was implemented countywide.
▪ When Juan Perez was named Miami-Dade Police Director in 2016, Ramirez immediately became a key lieutenant, working hand-in-hand with the director and attending most events with him. It already seemed obvious Ramirez was being groomed to become the next county police director.
▪ So it wasn’t surprising when then-mayor Carlos Gimenez named Ramirez police director of one of the largest law enforcement agencies in the U.S. in 2020 after Perez’s departure. In his three years at the helm overseeing 4,700 sworn officers and civilians, Ramirez has focused on community policing, often appearing personally at shooting scenes, and targeting the most severe criminals.
▪ In May, after Florida voters decided Miami-Dade needed an elected sheriff instead of a typically-bipartisan appointment by the mayor, Ramirez — though not of typical political bent — announced he would run for office in November 2024 and try to become the county’s elected sheriff, retaining the authority he’s had since 2020.
