Director Robert Parker regrets to announce that Miami-Dade Police Department Sergeant James E. Maier, passed away on May 8, 2006, after a long battle with cancer.

Sergeant Maier was born in Passaic, New Jersey in 1951, and earned a Bachelor?s Degree in 1974. He joined the Miami-Dade Police Department MDPD in February of 1975, and attained the rank of Sergeant in 1985. During his 30-year tenure, he held various positions in Uniform Patrol, General Investigations, Internal Affairs, and Strategic Investigations. He was assigned to the Robbery Bureau in 1990. Throughout his career, he was rated as an outstanding employee, supremely dedicated to the law enforcement profession. Peers and supervisors describe Sergeant Maier as a person who was tenacious in his pursuit of the law enforcement mission, and took pride in maintaining the highest ethical standards. His personnel file includes over 65 commendations from citizens, dignitaries, and other public officials. Common themes in his evaluations illustrate his outstanding achievements, his willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty, and his exceptional ability to supervise and coordinate major investigations.

Sergeant Maier was recently recognized for his leadership role in a task force relating to the robbery of tourists during the mid-1990?s. As a result of his efforts, a 23-count federal indictment charged multiple individuals with violations. He developed a precedent-setting strategy that laid the groundwork for future endeavors in the robbery intervention field, and led to a substantial decrease in tourist robberies. His influence and accomplishments as part of the Robbery Bureau will long be remembered. Also, during Sergeant Maier?s distinguished career, he demonstrated exceptional compassion for peers. In 2004, during the aftermath of four hurricanes in the Florida Panhandle, Sergeant Maier volunteered to travel to the affected areas. Under the most difficult and grueling conditions, he assisted in the repair of 53 officers homes.

Through the years, retired Sergeants Walter Walkington and Fred Silber, have maintained a close friendship with Sergeant Maier. Sergeant Silber described his friend as ? ?A solid family man who maintained a perfect balance between career and family.? Sergeant Walkington remembered Sergeant Maier as??A friend to all, whose strong integrity and character traits are reflected in his children.? He further reminisced about ?Jimmy? as a dedicated Sergeant who was well respected by colleagues and subordinates and who was ?extremely proud of his children and forever grateful to his wife, a nurse, who was Jimmy?s tower of strength during his illness.?

Sergeant Maier is survived by his loving wife; Francoise, daughter Katherine, a senior at the United States Military Academy at West Point; son Daniel, a Civil Engineering student at the University of Central Florida; sister Lois Maier Armstrong of New York, other loving friends and relatives; and his extended police family. Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, May 10, 2006, at Saint Mark Catholic Church, 5601 South Flamingo Road, Cooper City. In lieu of flowers, the family has suggested donations “In Memory of James E. Maier? be made to S.P.O.H.N.; Support for People with Oral, Head, and Neck Cancer, P. O. Box 53, Locus Valley, NY 11560.