Delrish Moss facts for kids

Delrish Moss is a police chief who has worked for many years to keep communities safe and build trust between police officers and the people they serve. He is currently the Police Chief for the Miramar Police Department in Florida. Before this, he was the Chief of Police in Ferguson, Missouri, and also worked for the Miami Police Department.

Growing Up and Becoming a Police Officer

Delrish Moss was born in Miami, Florida. He went to Miami High School and graduated in 1982. Growing up in a neighborhood called Overtown, he saw violence and even experienced being stopped by police for no clear reason. These experiences made him want to become a police officer. He said he "wanted to teach police how to treat people." This shows he cared about fairness and respect from a young age.

Delrish Moss's Police Career Journey

In 1984, Delrish Moss started working for the Miami Police Department. He quickly decided he wanted to become a full police officer. Within three years, he was a patrolman, working on the streets in Miami's historic Black communities like Overtown, Liberty City, Allapattah, and Coconut Grove.

Becoming a Spokesperson and Leader

In 1989, he was promoted to a homicide detective, investigating serious crimes. Later, in 1995, the Police Chief at the time, Donald Warsaw, asked Moss to become the police department's spokesperson. In this role, he talked to the public and the media about what the police were doing.

Moss gained national attention in 2000 when he spoke for the police department during a difficult time in Miami's Little Havana neighborhood. He also handled communications in 2005 during another important event. In 2009, Police Chief John Timoney added Moss to his main leadership team. By 2011, Moss was promoted to major by Police Chief Manuel Orosa. He led the department's Public Information and Community Relations division, working directly with the Chief. Chief Orosa said that Moss helped improve the relationship between Miami's African-American communities and the police department. Moss was very active in reaching out to the community, helping to change tense relationships into productive ones.

Leading in Ferguson

Delrish Moss has over 30 years of experience in law enforcement. In March 2016, he was chosen to be the Chief of Police for the Ferguson Police Department (Missouri) in Ferguson, Missouri. He was selected over 53 other people who applied for the job. When he was officially sworn in on May 9, 2016, he became the first permanent African American chief in Ferguson's history.

Ferguson is a suburb of St. Louis where, in 2014, there were events that led to a lot of discussion about police and community relations, and helped start the Black Lives Matter movement. Just weeks after Moss became chief, a federal judge approved an agreement for Ferguson with the United States Department of Justice. This agreement was made to fix issues of racial bias in the town's justice system. Moss focused his efforts in Missouri on making these important changes, many of which were required by the U.S. Department of Justice. He resigned from this position in October 2018 to return to Miami.

Current Role and Community Involvement

After leaving Ferguson, Moss became a Captain with the Florida International University Police Department. Currently, he serves as the Police Chief for the Miramar Police Department.

Moss has also been involved in community organizations. He served as president of the Miami Police Athletic League, which helps kids through sports, and he is a member of the NAACP, an organization that works for civil rights.