A young boy named Jaheem Lee shared his dream of one day becoming a motor deputy, and the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office decided that dream deserved a little extra shine. Motorcycle-mounted deputies and officers from the South District station rolled up to Good Shepherd Child Care Center in Cutler Bay to surprise Jaheem in person and spend time with the boy they now call a future motor officer.
According to a post from the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office
, members of the agency's Motors Unit and South District command knew they had to make Jaheem's day a little more special after learning of his aspiration. The visit brought together deputies from both units at the Cutler Bay child care facility, giving Jaheem a firsthand look at the officers who patrol on two wheels.
A Head Start Center With Deep Roots in Cutler Bay
Good Shepherd Child Care Center, where the surprise took place, sits at 18601 Franjo Road and is operated by Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami, according to the Archdiocese of Miami. The center provides Head Start early education, life skills instruction, and support resources for children ages 3 to 5 from economically disadvantaged families in South Miami-Dade. The facility also carries a resilient history in the community: the same source notes it was destroyed during Hurricane Andrew in 1992, leaving only an entrance wall holding a crucifix standing, before it was rebuilt to keep serving generations of local children.
The South District's Role in the Community
The MDSO South District station that took part in the visit is based at 10800 SW 211th Street in Cutler Bay, where the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office provides services, per Miami-Dade County. The Office of Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle expanded its embedded Gun Violence Unit to operate out of the South District station in April 2025 to combat localized violent crime in the area.
What It Takes to Become a Motor Deputy
The deputies who surprised Jaheem belong to the Special Patrol Bureau's Motors Unit, a specialized division within the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office that handles aggressive traffic enforcement, school zone safety monitoring, DUI enforcement, dignitary escorts, and targeted safety initiatives. Becoming one of those motorcycle-riding deputies is no small feat in Florida — the state provides motorcycle rider education and endorsement information, according to the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
The Motors Unit has had a busy stretch leading up to the visit. In June 2026, the unit partnered with the department's Aviation Support Unit in a grant-funded traffic safety initiative. Months earlier, in March 2026, the MDSO Headquarters Motors Unit joined a multi-agency crackdown against illegal off-road vehicle takeovers across the county, per Miami-Dade County.
A Newly Elected Sheriff's Office
The agency behind the surprise visit is the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office. The visit underscored the office's public-safety and community-outreach mission.
For Jaheem, the visit offered a glimpse of the path ahead of him if he pursues that motor deputy dream. Deputies from the Motors Unit and South District spent time with the boy at the Cutler Bay center, giving him a moment with the very officers whose job he hopes to one day hold.
