Imagine what would happen to a Chief of Police who forces her Assistant, a civilian police department employee, to notarize a fraudulent affidavit under threat of termination for the purpose of illegally obtaining a relative’s home.
No need to imagine because that’s exactly what North Miami Beach Police Chief Harvette Smith “allegedly” did, which initiated an FDLE investigation, and got her placed on paid administrative leave on December 7, 2023.
All the gory details of these “allegations” are enumerated in a Case Background, which was provided to the Miami State Attorney’s Office, as well as in the September 10, 2024 Motion to Show Cause filed during a lengthy civil lawsuit by Harvette’s mother, Shirley Sears against her own niece, Alona Naylor — the actual victim in Harvette’s family drama.
The Judge had already dismissed the case and issued his Final Judgment on July 16, 2024 in favor of the Defendant, Alona Naylor.
The next day, Shirley Sears filed a Motion For Rehearing, which the Judge Denied three weeks later on August 8, 2024.
Harvette’s mother then filed an Appeal on September 9, 2024, but then mysteriously filed a Notice of Withdrawal of Appeal only one week later on September 16, 2024.
Did she finally accept that her case was a lost cause?
Or was there some nefarious reason for her sudden change of heart?
While Harvette Smith was not technically a party to this case, her fingerprints were all over it from the very beginning.
During the Court proceedings, Alona Naylor had to petition the Courts twice for restraining orders against Harvette Smith for “allegedly” stalking and threatening her.
The first Petition was filed on September 5, 2023, and alleged the following:
The second Petition was filed on May 13, 2024, and alleged the following:
Lovely.
To top things off, Harvette Smith had hired former (and disgraced) North Miami Beach Detective Ed Hill/current “private investigator,” to stalk one of the witnesses in the case, as evidenced by the July 2, 2024 Notice of Filing of his self-penned “Declaration of Edward Hill.”
On July 19, 2024, Ed Hill also was seen stalking Alona Naylor at a building as she was leaving a job.
It’s obviously no coincidence that Ed Hill, who was hired by his former North Miami Beach Police Department colleague, Harvette Smith, was also stalking the woman her mother was suing.
If the name Edward Hill sounds familiar, it’s because this is the same NMBPD disgraced cop who was accused of forging documents and sleeping with a murder suspect’s wife, as reported by the Miami New Times on September 22, 2011.
Lovely.
Furthermore, it appears that both Harvette Smith and Ed Hill violated the law with their misuse of D.A.V.I.D. — Florida’s Driver And Vehicle Information Database.
In the executed Declaration of Edward Hill, dated July 16, 2024, a copy of which is attached to Shirley Sears’ Motion For Rehearing, Hill attached photographs of the prey he was stalking, Notary Caridad Blanco, including a printout of her Drivers License photo.
Although Ed Hill cropped the photo, it was clearly taken directly from Ms. Blanco’s Drivers License, as evidenced by the top of the first letter of her signature directly below her picture. (Take a look at your own Florida Drivers License and see what we mean.)
Paragraphs 6 and 7 of Defendant Alona Naylor’s Motion to Show Cause, filed September 10, 2024 — the day after Shirley Sears filed her appeal — state:
Was this the reason that Shirley Sears decided to withdraw her appeal of the frivolous lawsuit? We may never know for sure, but it’s probably a safe bet.
We do know, however, is that Harvette’s hiring of Ed Hill to intimidate a witness and a defendant, only proves — once again — that water seeks its own level.
Instead of immediately getting fired for threatening her civilian Assistant, Sabrina Joseph, and forcing her to notarize a fraudulent affidavit (among other egregious acts), Harvette Smith is being rewarded with:
- An unearned and undeserved salary and benefits package of $213,640 for the 13 months while she stayed home on paid administrative leave
- Her full retirement benefits
- A “retirement ceremony” on January 15, 2025
We’ve made a public records request with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) for a copy of its investigation of Harvette Smith, but it will be quite a while before we receive a response.
We have also yet to get our hands on the Miami State Attorney‘s Close-Out Memo. Based on our personal experience, however, we’re betting that Katherine Fernandez Rundle has “declined to prosecute” — because Harvette is neither Cuban nor Republican.
Also, because Harvette is black, she qualifies as a member of the “protected class” by Miami-Dade County’s Corrupt Top Cop, who views all potential defendants through race colored glasses.
We’re told that North Miami Beach City Manager Mario Diaz has been reluctant to fire Harvette, despite the fact that “Police Chief” is an at-will position, because she threatened to file a racial discrimination lawsuit against the City.
We’re also told that City Attorney Joe Geller, who can’t be bothered to stay awake during Commission Meetings, pressured the City Manager not to do his job because firing the City’s “first black female Chief of Police” would be a PR nightmare.
Maybe Joe should have stayed awake, eh?
Despite all her egregious actions, Harvette Smith has suffered zero consequences. No doubt, if she were white, she would have been fired immediately.
Unlike the highly qualified (and decidedly white) former North Miami Beach Police Officer Karl Anderson, who Harvette Smith “allegedly” called a “cracker” in private and refused to promote to Sergeant, she will receive her full retirement benefits.
Officer Anderson, on the other hand, was so frustrated by Harvette’s horrific treatment of him that he retired early just to get away from her.
Unfortunately, Anderson’s retirement was effective only five short days before Harvette was suspended!
How screwed up is that?
Even more screwed up is the fact that North Miami Beach residents continue to be ripped off by bad management, bad legal advice, bad politics, and no light at the end of this very long, very corrupt tunnel.
Stephanie
AMEN!
Comment *
NMBPD is a disgrace! Double morals all the way and lack of respect for the PO that have done everything by the book, with respect and decency!!!! Those are the very few in this department. If you keep digging you will find a lot of secrets within the current top administrators!!!
One day we might grow balls however, I’m not certain we can ever get out of this mess. The “Great City of North Miami Beach” not so great, sorry.
Pure trash and kills every black girls dream to be a great achiever and prominent in society discussing
Power stricken b___h
PSALM 37
Thugette should be her name!
I truly believe this is in absurd situation. For someone to do another person. These type of incident in yet still get off as the person who’s being rewarded.
But like they always say, you know, karma, will always
She was being honored today as though she’s an honorable person. She suffered no consequences for her actions and will get a full pension on top of 13 months of full pay. It’s despicable.
I just watched it on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/nmbpolice/videos/1294532365205639). So grotesque. Then again, plenty of corrupt politicians get “honors” that they don’t deserve. But this was all for show. Sad that City officials have to pretend that she was a great chief, when she sucked wind.