Broward County Sheriff's Office

The Broward County Sheriff's Office (BSO) is a public safety organization responsible for both law enforcement and fire protection duties within Broward County, Florida. With 5,400 employees,[2] it is the largest sheriff's department in the state of Florida. Sheriff Gregory Tony heads the agency. BSO was one of the largest fully-accredited Sheriff's offices in the United States, until it lost its accreditation (by unanimous vote) in 2019.[4]

Broward County Sheriff's Office
AbbreviationBSO
Agency overview
Formed1915[1]
Employees5,400[2]
Annual budget$730 million[3]
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionFlorida, U.S.
Legal jurisdictionUnincorporated areas of Broward County, Florida, and 13 local municipalities through contract services.[1]
General nature
Operational structure
Headquarters2601 W. Broward Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Agency executive
  • Gregory Tony, Sheriff
Website
www.sheriff.org
Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue
Agency overview
Fire chiefJoseph Fernandez

Stoneman Douglas High School Shooting
Main article: Stoneman Douglas High School shooting

Conflict between sheriffs and deputies

Under Scott Israel

Scott Israel received a vote of no-confidence linked to the mishandling of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, the first such vote in the Department's history.[5] The Broward Sheriff's Office Deputies Association voted 534-94 against Israel, with union President Jeff Bell vowing to ask Governor Rick Scott to consider removing Israel and praising the "great courage" of members who voted "under threat of retaliation and reprisal."[6][5] Scott took no action.

Israel described the no confidence vote as a "political stunt" intended to help the union in salary bargaining with the Department, at that time underway.[7] Bell denied this.[8] The largest union of sheriff's office employees, the Federation of Public Employees, which does not represent any sworn law enforcement employees, gave Israel a vote of confidence.[6]

On January 11, 2019, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, three days after his inauguration, announced that he had signed an executive order suspending Sheriff Scott Israel because of his department's handling of the 2018 Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. DeSantis appointed former Coral Springs Police Sergeant Gregory Tony as sheriff to replace Israel.[9]

Under Gregory Tony

Governor DeSantis removed Israel from office and replaced him with former Coral Springs police officer Gregory Tony. Tony is running to be elected to a full term in the 2020 Democratic primary. (In Broward County, winning the Democratic nomination usually guarantees election.) Israel and Al Pollock (favored by the union), Willie Jones, Andrew Maurice Smalling, and Santiago Vazquez are also running in the contested election. The Sun-Sentinel, Broward County's leading newspaper, has endorsed Israel.[10]

Tony has made police reform the central issue of his campaign.[11] In his first campaign advertisement he stated that he "suspended and fired some deputies accused of excessive force. He fired Christopher Krickovich after the department Professional Standards Committee recommended he be exonerated, and he replaced all the members of the Committee except for Jeff Bell." He fired "at least five deputies" for misconduct.[12] He also fired deputies Kevin Fanti and Jorge Sobrino.[13]

Tony fired deputies Brian Miller, Edward Eason, and Joshua Stambaugh for neglect of duty during the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting.[13]

On April 3, 2020, Broward deputy Shannon Bennett, 39, died from coronavirus contracted in the line of duty. As of April 5, more than a dozen Sheriff's Office employees had tested positive.[14] On April 7, Deputy Union president Jeff Bell published a column in the Sun Sentinel, accusing Tony of poor leadership and specifically not providing deputies with sufficient personal protective equipment, a charge Tony denied in a news conference held the same day. Tony referred to Bell as a "rogue employee", who, although a deputy, works full time for the union and "hasn't worn a uniform in years". Tony described Bell's actions as "dishonorable" because of his attempt, in Tony's words, for using Bennett’s death "to politicize and capitalize on a moment when we lost one of our own".[14]

On April 10, Tony suspended Jeff Bell indefinitely with pay, "saying he made false statements, has corrupt practices, has exhibited conduct that is unbecoming and has not used proper discretion", and starting an Internal Affairs case.[15]

On April 15 there were 77 positive coronavirus cases reported in the department.[15]

On April 20, the Deputies union released the results of a 693–93 vote of no confidence in Tony, and the Lieutenants union, also citing the lack of personal protective equipment, a vote of 33–5.[16]

Domestic violence prevention

Broward County Sheriff's Office works in partnership with Women in Distress (WID) to prevent domestic violence.[17] WID is a nationally accredited, state-certified, full service domestic violence center in Broward County. Its mission is to provide victims of domestic violence with safe shelter, crisis intervention and resources, and to educate the community in order to Stop Abuse For Everyone (SAFE) through intervention, education and advocacy.[18]

Media

The Broward County Sheriff's Office was featured prominently in the first season of COPS in 1989.[19]

District Offices

Fire Stations
CityStation No
Central BrowardStation 14
Station 23
Cooper CityStation 28
Dania BeachStation 1
Deerfield BeachStation 4
Station 51
Station 66
Station 75
Station 102
Station 111
Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International AirportStation 10
Hallandale BeachStation 7
Station 60
Station 90
Lauderdale LakesStation 37
Pembroke Park, West ParkStation 27
Port EvergladesStation 6
Weston/Unincorporated West BrowardStation 21
Station 55
Station 67
Station 81
Station 106

List of sheriffs
Broward County Sheriff vehicle
  • A.W. Turner (1915 - 1925)[20]
  • Paul C. Bryan (1925 - 1927)
  • A.W. Turner (1927 - 1931)
  • Walter Clark (1931 - 1939)
  • Eddie Lee (1939 - 1940)
  • Walter Clark (1941 - 1950)
  • Amos Hall (1951 - 1957)
  • J.A. "Quill" Lloyd (1957 - 1961)
  • Allen B. Michell (1961 - 1968)
  • Thomas Walker (1968)
  • Edward Stack (1969 - 1979)
  • Robert Butterworth (1979 - 1982)
  • George Brescher (1983 - 1985)
  • Nick Navarro (1985 - 1993)
  • Ron Cochran (1993 - 1997)
  • Ken Jenne (1997 - 2007)
  • Al Lamberti (2007 - 2013)
  • Scott Israel (2013 – 2019)
  • Gregory Tony (2019–present)

See also

References
  1. "The History of the Broward Sheriff's Office". Broward Sheriff's Office. Archived from the original on January 11, 2017. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
  2. "Broward Sheriff's Office - About the Broward Sheriff's Office". Broward County Sheriff's Office. Archived from the original on 21 February 2018. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  3. "Broward Sheriff's Office - Office of the Sheriff". Broward County Sheriff's Office. Archived from the original on 30 March 2018. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
  4. Scouten, Ted (July 1, 2019). "BSO Loses Accreditation; Former Sheriff Scott Israel To Run To Get Job Back". WFOR-TV (miami.cbslocal.com). Archived from the original on October 24, 2019. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  5. Flores, Rosa; Sanchez, Ray (April 26, 2018). "The fate of the sheriff from the Parkland shooting lands in the Florida governor's lap". CNN. Archived from the original on 2019-10-16. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  6. "Deputy's vote against Israel is acrimonious". Palm Beach Post. April 27, 2018. p. A10 – via newspaper.com.
  7. "Union's 'no confidence' vote is a 'political stunt'". Sun Sentinel. 26 Apr 2018. p. A9. Archived from the original on 18 June 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2020 – via newspapers.com.
  8. "Sheriff given no-confidence vote from union". Palm Beach Post. April 27, 2018. p. B10. Archived from the original on June 22, 2020. Retrieved June 20, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
  9. "The History of the Broward Sheriff's Office". Archived from the original on April 13, 2014. Retrieved April 11, 2014.
  10. Sun Sentinel Editorial Board (July 17, 2020). "Endorsement: Despite the past, Broward Democrats should nominate Scott Israel for sheriff". Sun Sentinel. Archived from the original on July 30, 2020. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
  11. Swisher, Skyler (June 18, 2020). "Sheriff Gregory Tony pledges to supportnd police reform initiatives". Sun Sentinel. Archived from the original on June 21, 2020. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  12. Kelley, EIileen; Ariza, Mario (February 20, 2020). "Broward sheriff overhauls discipline board to ensure deputies are held accountable". Sun Sentinel. Archived from the original on June 21, 2020. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  13. Kelley, Eileen (December 11, 2019). "Deputy is fired for slamming student's head to the ground". Sun Sentinel. Archived from the original on June 18, 2020. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  14. Nicol, Ryan (April 5, 2020). "39-year-old Broward Sheriff's Office deputy dies after contracting coronavirus 'in the line of duty'". Florida Politics. Archived from the original on June 7, 2020. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  15. Kelley, Eileen (April 15, 2020). "Coronavirus spreads at Broward Sheriff's Office". Sun Sentinel. Archived from the original on June 13, 2020. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  16. Kelley, Eileen (April 21, 2020). "Deputy union says it has no confidence in Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony". Sun Sentinel. Archived from the original on June 15, 2020. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  17. "NEWS CONFERENCE TO ANNOUNCE JOINT BSO & WOMEN IN DISTRESS EFFORT". www.sheriff.org. Archived from the original on 2012-03-16. Retrieved 2015-07-07.
  18. "Women In Distress | Broward County, providing victims of domestic violence with safe shelter, crisis intervention, resources and education for the community". www.womenindistress.org. Archived from the original on 2015-06-14. Retrieved 2015-07-07.
  19. TV.com (1989-03-11). "Cops - Season 1". TV.com. Archived from the original on 2014-04-07. Retrieved 2013-07-28.
  20. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-11-01. Retrieved 2018-11-04.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)


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