Four City of Miami Police officers have been relieved of duty with pay as part of an ongoing internal inquiry, Police Chief Manuel Morales stated on Tuesday.
“We will not allow any members of the Miami Police Department to violate our integrity,” according to what he told 7 News. “Four cops have been suspended pending an ongoing inquiry. The investigation is open and active, and we are not addressing it at this time.”
According to a 7News source inside the police, the inquiry concerns illegal substances and could be linked to an incident earlier this year in which a Miami officer’s ex-girlfriend stole his undercover vehicle.
According to the source, individuals under investigation include Gang Unit detectives, an officer assigned to the US Marshals Task Force, and a senior member of the department’s Internal Affairs unit, which handles police misconduct matters.
Morales stated that police are investigating the suspended cops for conduct that “betrayed the badge.”
“As chief of the Miami Police Department, it’s my job to hold the integrity of this department,” according to Morales.
Previous reports from 7News revealed a link to a second case involving a Miami-Dade Sheriff’s deputy jailed earlier this year. The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office informed 7News that the four officers currently under investigation have no connection to the crime.
As of Tuesday, no criminal charges had been brought.