By the Coral Gables Gazette editorial board

The Coral Gables Police Department’s record-setting pace of hiring this year is cause for both celebration and sober reflection. City officials reported that 26 full-time officers and one part-time officer have already joined the force in 2025, with 10 more expected by year’s end. If those numbers hold, the department will have reduced its staffing shortfall from 37 vacancies to just five — the closest it has been to full strength in years. This accomplishment deserves recognition. Police Chief Ed Hudak was right to call it a “team victory,” and Human Resources Director Raquel Elejabarrieta’s description of the effort as “record-setting” is no exaggeration. In a national and regional climate where police recruitment has lagged, Coral Gables is bucking the trend. For residents who prize both the perception and reality of safety, this milestone matters.

But hiring is only the first step. The greater test will be whether the city can retain these officers, invest in their development, and ensure that Coral Gables remains competitive as neighboring departments vie for experienced talent. The challenge is not unique. Police departments throughout the region and the nation are engaged in an ongoing competition for qualified recruits. Higher starting salaries, signing bonuses, and aggressive recruiting campaigns have become common across South Florida. Coral Gables has met the moment through regional drives, outreach to academies and lateral transfers, but the landscape will remain dynamic.

The city’s success in bringing new officers on board coincides with a broader decline in crime. Data released earlier this summer showed a 14.3 percent drop in reported crimes in 2024 compared with 2023. Robberies fell from 17 to 5. Motor vehicle theft dropped by more than 26 percent. These are striking improvements, and they reflect not only the work of specialized units but also the visible presence of patrols downtown, where commercial activity has grown steadily. The new hires offer an opportunity to reinforce this progress. Yet the long-term question is whether Coral Gables can hold on to the officers it is now bringing in at such expense and effort.

Commissioner Melissa Castro put the issue plainly: Coral Gables has improved starting pay but lags behind neighboring municipalities after several years of service. Officers who begin their careers here may later be tempted by higher pay elsewhere. That turnover risk is costly — not just financially, but in terms of community policing, where trust depends on continuity. Mayor Vince Lago countered that recent raises and bonuses have strengthened the city’s position. He is correct to note that Coral Gables continues to report among the lowest crime rates in Miami-Dade County. But the exchange between Castro and Lago revealed more than a policy disagreement. Castro accused the mayor of lying, repeating the charge. Commissioner Richard Lara intervened to remind his colleagues that debates over pay and retention should not descend into personal attacks.

Public safety requires trust on multiple levels: between officers and residents, between the city and its workforce, and among the commissioners themselves. When discussion of police contracts becomes a proxy for political point-scoring, that trust is strained. The substance of the debate — how to ensure Coral Gables retains the officers it has worked so hard to hire — risks being overshadowed.

The city should build on the momentum of this year’s hiring success by adopting a clear retention strategy. That means competitive pay not only at entry but through mid-career and senior ranks. Recruitment costs are wasted if trained officers leave after a few years. It means investing in professional development and specialized training. Officers who see a path to growth and advancement are more likely to remain with the department. And it means approaching upcoming contract negotiations with a spirit of collaboration. Residents deserve debates that are candid, evidence-based, and civil. The issues are too important to be clouded by personal feuds.

Coral Gables has long prided itself on safety as part of its civic identity. The decline in crime over the past two years reinforces that reputation. But residents will rightly judge the city not only on crime statistics but on how it manages its public safety workforce. A record-setting hiring push is only as valuable as the city’s ability to retain, support, and integrate those officers over time. The responsibility now rests with commissioners to ensure that policy keeps pace with progress. Hiring may grab headlines, but retention will determine whether Coral Gables remains a model of public safety. The public expects not just results but leadership that is principled, forward-looking, and democratic in spirit.

The city’s achievement this year is real. To sustain it, Coral Gables must make retention as much of a priority as recruitment — and conduct that work in a manner that builds trust rather than erodes it.