Opa-locka's new police chief aims to strengthen community ties, bring in officers who "make a difference"
Robin Starks, who was named police chief on Monday after serving for a while as interim police chief, will be supervising 45 officers in the city of 19,000 people.
She has been in law enforcement for 34 years, including 27 years with the Miami Police Department and six years with the Miami Gardens Police Department.
Starks told CBS News Miami, "It is an honor to represent the city where I have been appointed, as it is very historical. It is a place where I am very familiar with, and I have family that lives around here, so it is good to be able to give back."
Starks, who grew up in Miami Gardens, has two sons.
"While I have gone through the ranks at various positions, being able to put your heart and soul into something you have a passion for is honorable and very rewarding," she said.
She said, "My goal is to transition into a more positive light with the police department, creating an environment where we work as a family and communicate with the public, where we can collaborate with our business owners and stakeholders. It also means a lot to bring in good law enforcement officers who are going to make a difference in our community."
She said new approaches are needed.
Starks said, "We are going to have more active engagement with the community. We are in the process of developing a bike squad, and I am going to go out and ride bicycles. We also have improved training, and we have departments coming into our city to use the department for training."
Starks said, "I think I have a great foundation where I am able to share my knowledge, having worked with all aspects of Miami police; that was a huge stepping stone."
She also said they are working on programs to encourage more people to come forward to help them solve crimes.
"One of the things we are working on is developing a system called TIPS 411," she said. "We also have a great collaboration with the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office and are very interactive with what we need in the city. We want to change the perception of Opa-locka and move ahead being positive."
CBS News Miami also spoke exclusively with City Manager Sha'Mecca Lawson, who said, "I think she will be able to take the department forward, and she has shown as interim chief how we can move forward. It starts with leadership, so if we have great leaders, you will have officers in place and move in the right direction."
She said, "I think our police officers need to make our community feel they are approachable, and they need to get out in the community and get to know the community and let the community know you. With that being said, ride with your windows down. Speak to residents and make them feel comfortable."
Last September, CBS News Miami reported on how, as an Assistant Police Chief, Starks filed a whistleblower complaint against the former police chief and former city manager, saying individuals were improperly targeted, funds were misused and investigations were being interfered with. CBS News Miami was told the former police chief and city manager were no longer with the city.
Starks said she did not want to talk about that case.
In September 2023, CBS News Miami also reported that Starks sued the City of Miami Gardens, claiming she had been fired for blowing the whistle on alleged misconduct and inadequate officer training. Starks also said she did not want to talk about that case.
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