Veteran Miami-Dade cop Mario Knapp sworn in as new Homestead Police Chief

Mario Knapp swears in as the new Chief of the Homestead Police Department on Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. Image via Nolan Regan, republished with permission.

Veteran Miami-Dade police officer Mario Knapp, who mounted a strong but unsuccessful bid for Sheriff last year, is now leading the police force of the county’s second oldest city.

Knapp was just sworn in as the new Chief of the Homestead Police Department. He succeeds longtime Chief Alexander Rolle Jr., who joined the agency in 1979 and served as its top cop for more than a quarter-century.

“The City of Homestead is thrilled to welcome Mario Knapp as its new Chief of Police,” a city spokesperson wrote on Homestead’s Facebook page ahead of Knapp’s Friday swearing-in.

“The City of Homestead and its Police Department are growing, and the city is excited for this new chapter under Chief Knapp’s leadership. With his wealth of experience and commitment to justice, he is ready to lead Homestead into a safe and prosperous future.”

Knapp got the job by appointment from Homestead City Manager Nzeribe Ihekwaba following a national search to which more than 50 candidates applied. He was sworn in during a packed City Hall ceremony well-attended by elected officials, members of law enforcement and community members.

“It was very humbling that they came out to support me and the city of Homestead,” Knapp told Florida Politics. “If the number of people and the support we saw today is indicative of the success of the city, I think it’s going to be really successful.”

Knapp’s ascension to Homestead Police Chief ends a yearslong hiatus from law enforcement. He began his career with the Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD) in 1994 at age 20 and held many leadership jobs over the next 27 years.

That includes service as commander of the Crime Suppression Unit, Training Bureau and Seaport Operations Bureau and several district stations. He led MDPD’s Office of Communications, SWAT team, Bomb Squad, Special Events Section and the Marine Patrol, Canine, Motor and Drivers units.

He also was the Department’s use-of-force subject matter expert for training and policy writing, which included testifying for or against officer in use-of-force cases, and chaired the committee that formulated MDPD’s active shooter protocols after the January 2015 terrorist attack at the office of Charlie Hebdo in Paris.

He said he’d long admired Homestead for being a leading municipality in law enforcement, including being one of the earliest local governments in South Florida, along with the city of Miami and Miami-Dade County, to have a “really credible SWAT school.”

Today it’s growing quickly in population and industry, with a new Amazon facility servicing the area and a new spaceport designation for Homestead Air Reserve base, among other developments.

Knapp said he hopes to grow the Police Department in proportion to the city’s growth. The agency currently has about 135 sworn officers, not counting support staff.

“I have to diagnose before I prescribe,” he said. “Now I’m looking under the hood, opening doors, looking at files and starting to move chips around. I can tell you we’re going to place a focus on community policing, analytically driven enforcement and deployment of resources, and really just improving public trust here in Homestead.”

He said he knows he has “some big shoes to fill” in succeeding Rolle, who made history as Homestead’s first African American Police Chief when he took the job 27 years ago.

“He’s leaving a legacy behind,” Knapp said, “but I think I’m up for the challenge.”

Knapp, who turned 51 on Dec. 30, retired from the force at the rank of major in August 2021 after leading search-and-rescue efforts in the aftermath of the Champlain Towers South condo collapse in Surfside.

He told Florida Politics last year that his retirement had nothing to do with the “very taxing” duty of overseeing post-disaster operations at the site. Instead, he left for a job with Wrap Technologies, a manufacturer of less lethal devices headquartered in Tempe, Arizona.

Knapp spent a year with the company before leaving to run for Miami-Dade Sheriff.

“It was always in my sights,” he said.

Knapp competed in a crowded August Primary that included 10 other Republican candidates, placing third behind Florida State Trooper Joe Sanchez and Rosie Cordero-Stutz, the latter of whom won the Sheriff’s job in November.

He proved an impressive fundraiser, amassing more than $360,000. After losing the Primary, he endorsed Cordero-Stutz and encouraged voters to stay engaged and continue advocating for the county’s improvement.

“I remain committed to this community,” he said, “and finding ways to serve, protect, and improve the place we all call home.”

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Editor’s note: This report was updated to include comments from Knapp and clarify that Ihekwaba appointed him.