The Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD) (formerly known as the Metro-Dade Police Department (1981–1994) and the Dade County Sheriff's Office (1836–1981)) is a full service metropolitan police department serving Miami-Dade County's unincorporated areas, although they have lenient mutual aid agreements with other incorporated municipalities, most often the City of Miami Police Department. The MDPD is the largest police department in the Southeastern United States, with approximately 4,500 employees. The Department is still often referred by its former name, the Metro-Dade Police or simply Metro. Miami-Dade Police officers are easily identified by their taupe/brown colored uniforms. Miami-Dade Police vehicles are identified by their green and white livery. MDPD officers carry silver badges, while officers with the ranks of sergeant and above carry gold badges.

The MDPD operates out of nine district stations throughout Miami-Dade County and several specialized bureaus. The MDPD is internationally accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (blank">CALEA), as well as at the state level by the Florida Commission for Law Enforcement Accreditation (CFA). The current director of the department is Robert Parker,http://www.miamidade.gov/mdpd/BureausDivisions/director.asp who succeeded Carlos Alvarez, the current mayor of Miami-Dade County. The Department's headquarters are located in _Doral, Florida.