My full name is Bernadette Maher, but most people just call me Berni.  I was born and raised in North Miami, FL. I have been a Miami Beach Police Officer since 2001, prior to that I worked for the North Miami Police Department as a Public Service Aid.  I have a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and Public Administration, and plan to start my master’s degree next year.  I have been investigating human trafficking cases since 2013 and became a full time Human Trafficking Detective in 2015.  I have been a member of the State Attorney’s Office Human Trafficking Task Force, since 2015.  In 2017 I was awarded the State of Florida Missing and Endangered Children, Combatting Human Trafficking Award.  In 2023 I was awarded the Florida Law Enforcement Official of the Year from the Attorney General’s Office.