Miami-Dade Police Department Policy Manual

The Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD) is a large county agency serving unincorporated Miami-Dade County and contracting municipalities. MDPD uses a Departmental Manual maintained in an electronic policy system, along with related directives and legal bulletins. While the full manual itself is not broadly posted in one public PDF, official county documents and selected policy materials describe how the department handles arrests, custody, physical restraint, use of force, and other high-liability activities. For promotion-focused study, officers must understand how these core policy themes guide day-to-day decisions in a complex, high-volume urban and suburban environment.

For MDPD promotion prep, start by organizing the policy material you do have access to: Departmental Manual sections, legal guidelines, use of force chapters, and official county reports describing MDPD practices. Build a topic-based notebook that groups material into: (1) use of force and weapons, (2) arrests and custody, (3) vehicle operations and pursuits, (4) complaints and internal investigations, and (5) supervision and documentation. For each topic, write a clear summary of what front-line officers must do, then a separate summary for what supervisors must do. Promotion exams will focus heavily on whether you can apply those expectations to realistic Miami-Dade scenarios.

High-priority MDPD policy themes to emphasize include:

- Use of force and weapons: definitions, de-escalation expectations, documentation, and review.
- Arrest, custody, and physical restraint: thresholds, prisoner handling, medical care, and safeguards against excessive or improper force.
- Vehicle operations and pursuits: criteria for pursuits, risk assessment, and supervisory control in dense traffic and highway environments.
- Complaints and internal investigations: intake, classification, investigation process, and employee rights.
- Supervisor responsibilities after high-risk incidents: on-scene decision-making, notifications, and follow-up documentation.

Because the manual is extensive, studying by topic (rather than page-by-page) is the most efficient way to prepare.

When preparing for MDPD promotional testing:

1. Build detailed “response to force” and “critical incident” checklists describing what a sergeant or lieutenant must do in the first minutes and hours after an incident.
2. Pay close attention to any published use of force chapters or summaries, as these often form the basis of scenario questions.
3. Practice scenario drills involving busy arterial roads, large multi-family housing complexes, and county-wide calls that may involve other agencies.
4. When you read any official report or memo describing MDPD practices, immediately translate the key points into exam-style notes: what is required, what is prohibited, and what must be documented by supervisors.