Miami-Dade schools police chief could be next Doral police chief

The City of Doral could have a new police chief come Wednesday: Edwin Lopez, the chief of Miami-Dade County Schools Police Department.

According to the city’s Jan. 11 council meeting agenda, the city and Lopez have “reached a mutual understanding of his employment terms,” and if approved, he would begin the job on Jan. 18.

His annual salary would be $199,000, according to an employment agreement included with the council’s agenda item. At Miami-Dade schools, he earned between $180,000-$190,000.

Lopez would replace Raul Ubieta, Doral’s former police chief whom the city asked to resign. His last day was Dec. 30, according to a resignation letter Ubieta submitted to Doral’s outgoing city manager, Herman Organvidez.

Doral Mayor Christi Fraga, who stepped down in November from the Miami-Dade County School Board to run for mayor, and the city council will have to approve Lopez as the city’s new police chief. Fraga won the mayoral seat in a December runoff election.

READ MORE: Former Miami-Dade school board member elected Doral mayor in runoff race

Lopez declined to comment Thursday, saying he would hold off until the council finalized a decision Wednesday.

Fraga did not return a phone call from the Herald on Thursday. Miami-Dade schools remain closed for the winter holiday and will reopen Monday.

Miami-Dade schools has double the officers

Doral’s police department has 203 employees, 155 of whom are sworn officers, and a budget of more than $30 million, comprising $57.33% of the city’s budget.

Miami-Dade Public Schools, on the other hand, is the largest school-based police department in the country, with 468 officers, according to the district. (It’s hired nearly 300 resource officers since voters passed a property tax referendum in 2018, which helped fund school safety and teacher pay. Each one of those officers is paid for by the tax.)

The Herald could not confirm the school police department’s annual budget.

With 40 years of law enforcement experience, Ubieta spent the bulk of his career at the Miami-Dade Police Department. There, he held various ranks including sergeant, lieutenant, captain and major. He retired in 2016 as director of the Miami-Dade Public Safety Training Institute.

Ubieta joined the Doral Police Department in 2018 as deputy chief. He was named interim police chief in May 2021, replacing former chief Organvidez, who became Doral’s city manager. Ubieta was named police chief in August 2021.

Fraga taps wife of School Board member to be Doral manager

Organvidez resigned as city manager in December, making way for Fraga to appoint Barbara Hernandez, the former City of Miami parks and recreation director, as Doral city manager.

Hernandez’s husband, Daniel Espino, was recently appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to fill Fraga’s former seat on the Miami-Dade County School Board.

READ MORE: Five things to know about DeSantis appointee to the Miami-Dade School Board

Lopez first Hispanic to lead schools police

Lopez’s departure could come as a surprise to some: As a graduate of Southwest Senior High School, he’s been a steady presence in Miami-Dade public schools for more than 20 years.

Prior to being sworn in as chief in July 2018, succeeding former chief Ian A. Moffet, he was a police officer, a sergeant and a school resource officer. He was a physical education teacher before training to join the police force. He also worked as a detached investigator for the Miami-Dade County State Attorney’s Office gang strike force.

Lopez was the first Hispanic to lead the district’s police department since its founding in the 1960s.