New North Campus Public Safety Chief Brings Decades Of Policing Experience

Makiem Miller rose up the police ranks in Connecticut during the rise of community-oriented policing, a method geared toward strengthening relationships with residents to deter crime.  

During patrol assignments, he got to know families and business owners personally, building trust and breaking down barriers for more than two decades.

At Miami Dade College, Miller will continue to implement those community policing tactics to strengthen ties between public safety officers and the community.

The 51-year old started as the new public safety chief at North Campus on Aug. 28. His duties include overseeing public safety officers and implementing institutional-wide policies and crime prevention programs.

“Access is big,” Miller said. “When the students, faculty and staff see that they have access to public safety, that alone makes them feel a little more confident and a little more safe, feeling that they do see us, that we’re there and that we will be accessible to provide that service.”

 Prior to his current role at MDC, Miller served as a patrol officer, detective, sergeant and lieutenant for the New Haven Police Department in Connecticut.

He became a detective after only three years on the force, working in narcotics, the major crimes and special victims units and investigating arson and sexual assault cases.  

Miller retired from the department in 2016 after serving for more than 20 years.

“I see great leadership skills, which will be an asset for the MDC community during public safety emergencies,” said Miller’s boss, Victor Moreno, who serves as director of North Campus’ support services.

After leaving the New Haven Police Department, Miller served as the chief of police at Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina from June of 2016 through March of 2017.

His next assignment was as a police officer at the Beacon Falls Police Department in Connecticut from March of 2018 through November of 2020.

At North Campus, Miller seeks to expand access to professional training for public safety officers and encourage team collaboration.

“I would like to see a public safety force that’s very cohesive, as far as trust and communication, and feeding off of each other with workers in-house first,” Miller said. “That’s where it starts because if we’re going to be servants to the community, we have to have that in-house first.”

Off duty, Miller enjoys photography, sports, reading literature, biographies, detective novels and African American history. He enjoys exploring the tropics and has traveled to 12 countries, including the Philippines, Thailand, Colombia, Brazil, Jamaica and Mexico. 

Miller earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Sacred Heart University in Connecticut in 1995 and a police officer certification from the New Haven Police Academy in 1996. Sixteen years later, he obtained an online master’s degree in criminal justice from American Military University. 

“We are so happy to have chief Miller come on board to lead public safety. He has many years of experience and knowledge,” said Evelyn Rodriguez, the senior director of campus administration at North. “I am very proud of the work that public safety does every day and I am looking forward to the chief continuing that success.”

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