Chief Karin Montejo is a 26-year veteran of the Miami-Dade Police Department. She is currently the
Police Division Chief of the Administration and Technology Division. Prior to this assignment she was
Commander of the Domestic Crimes Bureau and District Commander of the Kendall District. Many of
her assignments have been in the area of investigations. She was the commander of the Sexual Crimes
Bureau, responsible for the investigation of sexual assaults occurring in Miami-Dade County. During her
tenure there, she established the Sexual Crimes Clearinghouse, which provides investigative information
to detectives in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe counties. She was the Captain for the
Economic Crimes Bureau, which was responsible for the investigation of auto theft, arson, worthless
checks, fraud and public corruption. Her previous assignment was as Lieutenant in Homicide, where she
supervised several squads of homicide detectives and was involved in the investigation of the Valu-Jet
crash in the Everglades. Other positions held by Chief Montejo as a lieutenant were as a platoon
commander in the Intracoastal District and as the commander of the Basic Training Unit (police academy)
as well as Firearms and Defensive Tactics Units. She was a sergeant in the Internal Affairs Unit,
investigating not only complaints of misconduct, but specifically handling the sexual harassment
allegations from within the Department. As an officer, she patrolled Kendall, Northside and Cutler Ridge
Districts, worked in an undercover capacity in narcotics, and was an investigator in general investigations
and homicide.
Chief Montejo holds a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from the University of Florida, a Master of
Science from St. Thomas University in Public Administration, graduated from the Southern Police
Institute for Police Executives and is currently working towards her PhD. in Corporate and
Organizational Management from Lynn University. She is an instructor for the Miami-Dade Police
Department and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). Along with her course in
Sexual Assault Investigation for the IACP, she has collaborated on national guidelines for DNA
evidence in sexual assault investigations currently being produced by the IACP. Chief Montejo has
also researched and produced a course specifically targeted for Women in Policing: Meeting the
Challenges of Supervision, which was recently showcased at the 1st FBI Conference for Women in
Law Enforcement.
In April 2002, Chief Montejo was honored by the National Center for Women in Policing in Washington,
DC, receiving the “Breaking the Glass Ceiling” award, and in March, 2004, she was honored by Miami-Dade
County for her accomplishments, receiving the “In Celebration of Women” award. She is also currently a
member of the following organizations: National Center for Women in Policing, International Association of
Chiefs of Police, and the American Society of Law Enforcement Trainers.
