The Broward County Sheriff's Office (BSO) is a public safety organization With 5,400 employees,
it is the largest sheriff's department in the state of
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
. Sheriff
Gregory Tony
}
Gregory Scott Tony (born 1978) is an American law enforcement officer and the 17th Sheriff of Broward County, Florida.
Tony was initially appointed sheriff in 2019 by Florida governor Ron DeSantis, to fill a vacancy. In November 2020, T ...
heads the agency. BSO was one of the United States' largest fully-accredited sheriff's departments before losing accreditation (by unanimous vote) in 2019. Uniquely, the BSO also operates the county
fire department
A fire department (American English) or fire brigade (Commonwealth English), also known as a fire authority, fire district, fire and rescue, or fire service in some areas, is an organization that provides fire prevention and fire suppression se ...
and
emergency medical services
Emergency medical services (EMS), also known as ambulance services or paramedic services, are emergency services that provide urgent pre-hospital treatment and stabilisation for serious illness and injuries and transport to definitive care. ...
, the Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue (BSFR).
Structure and roles
The Broward County Sheriff's Office (BSO) is responsible for law enforcement and civil protection in Broward County. The BSO also oversees the fire department and emergency medical services for Broward County.
The BSO's Department of Law Enforcement covers areas including the Broward County Courthouse, the
Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, areas of
the Everglades
The Everglades is a natural region of tropical wetlands in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Florida, comprising the southern half of a large drainage basin within the Neotropical realm. The system begins near Orlando with the Kissimm ...
and the county's waterways, unincorporated Broward, and 13 cities and towns that contracted for BSO law enforcement services.
/ref> It also administers the Marine and Dive Rescue Unit, Motorcycle Unit, and Crime Lab. BSO also provides 9-1-1
, usually written 911, is an emergency telephone number for the United States, Canada, Mexico, Panama, Palau, Argentina, Philippines, Jordan, as well as the North American Numbering Plan (NANP), one of eight N11 codes. Like other emergency nu ...
intake.
History
The BSO was founded in 1915. In 2003, the BSO took control of Broward County Fire Rescue, Port Everglades Fire Rescue, and the Ft. Lauderdale/ Hollywood International Airport Fire Rescue departments.
Stoneman Douglas High School shooting
Following a deadly mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in February 2018, the Broward County Sheriff's Office was criticized by some for its response.
Some of the criticism was directed at Sheriff Scott Israel
Scott Israel is an American law enforcement officer, and the Police Chief of the city of Opa-locka, Florida.
Israel was chief of police in North Bay Village, Florida, from 2004 to 2008, during which time he was named Police Chief of the Year in ...
for the Broward County Sheriff's Office not addressing warnings about the suspected gunman, despite the teenager's lengthy record of threatening behavior from the age of nine. The sheriff's department had received 19 calls over the span of a decade relating to Cruz (some when Cruz was as young as nine years old; they ranged from a call to the police reporting that Cruz was cursing, to a call saying he had shot a chicken with a BB gun).
In response to some of the calls, deputies met with Cruz’s mother. A Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School BSO resource deputy had an investigator for the Florida Department of Children and Families
The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) is a state agency of Florida. Its headquarters are at 2415 North Monroe St., Ste. 400 in Tallahassee, Florida. The department provides social services to children, adults, refugees, domestic ...
speak to Cruz in 2016, but Cruz's therapist said that Cruz was “not currently a threat to himself or others” and did not need to be committed, a mental health counselor said Cruz did not meet the criteria under Florida law that allows the police to commit a mentally ill person against their will, Stoneman Douglas High School conducted a “threat assessment” on Cruz after the counselor’s report, and the Florida Department of Children and Families ultimately concluded that Cruz was not a threat because he was living with his mother, attending school, and seeing a counselor. The FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...
, for its part, admitted that it had received a tip (saying the caller suspected Cruz would shoot up a school) that its protocols required the FBI to further investigate, but that the FBI had failed to do so.
Broward County Sheriff's Office Deputies were criticized for staying outside the school, and not immediately confronting the gunman. During the shooting, an armed sheriff's deputy was outside of the school, but did not enter. Afterward Israel criticized the deputy, saying that he should have "went in, addressed the killer, killed the killer". It was later discovered that there may have been at least two other deputies, who arrived later, who also did not enter the building. Coral Springs
Coral Springs, officially the City of Coral Springs, is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. The city is located approximately northwest of Fort Lauderdale. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 134,394. It is a ...
police officers who arrived at the scene were surprised to find that the deputies still had not entered the building. A Florida sheriff on a reviewing panel said that several of the Broward deputies on the scene failed to take command, and seemed disengaged or were distracted or failed to act at all, driving back and forth outside the school during the shooting. Disciplinary action was taken against various deputies.
This was followed by resignations of several police officers who had responded to the scene, and Israel's suspension 11 months later by new Governor Ron DeSantis. A commission appointed by then-Governor Rick Scott
Richard Lynn Scott ( Myers, born December 1, 1952) is an American politician serving as the junior United States senator from Florida since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he was the 45th governor of Florida from 2011 to 2019.
Scott ...
to investigate the shooting condemned the police inaction, and urged school districts across the state to adopt greater measures of security.
Conflict between sheriffs and deputies
Under Scott Israel
Scott Israel
Scott Israel is an American law enforcement officer, and the Police Chief of the city of Opa-locka, Florida.
Israel was chief of police in North Bay Village, Florida, from 2004 to 2008, during which time he was named Police Chief of the Year in ...
received a vote of no-confidence
A motion of no confidence, also variously called a vote of no confidence, no-confidence motion, motion of confidence, or vote of confidence, is a statement or vote about whether a person in a position of responsibility like in government or mana ...
linked to the mishandling of the Stoneman Douglas High School
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (MSDH or MSD) is a public high school in Parkland, Florida, United States. It was established in 1990 and is part of the Broward County Public Schools district. It is named after the writer Marjory Stoneman ...
shooting, the first such vote in the Department's history. The Broward Sheriff's Office Deputies Association voted 534–94 against Israel, with union President Jeff Bell vowing to ask Governor Rick Scott
Richard Lynn Scott ( Myers, born December 1, 1952) is an American politician serving as the junior United States senator from Florida since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he was the 45th governor of Florida from 2011 to 2019.
Scott ...
to consider removing Israel and praising the "great courage" of members who voted "under threat of retaliation and reprisal."[ 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. Bell denied this. The largest union of sheriff's office employees, th]
Federation of Public Employees
which does not represent any sworn law enforcement employees, gave Israel a vote of confidence.[
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
Scott Israel is an American law enforcement officer, and the Police Chief of the city of Opa-locka, Florida.
Israel was chief of police in North Bay Village, Florida, from 2004 to 2008, during which time he was named Police Chief of the Year in ...
because of his department's handling of the 2018 Stoneman Douglas High School shooting
On February 14, 2018, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz opened fire on students and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in the Miami suburban town of Parkland, Florida, murdering 17 people and injuring 17 others. Cruz, a former student at t ...
. DeSantis appointed former Coral Springs
Coral Springs, officially the City of Coral Springs, is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. The city is located approximately northwest of Fort Lauderdale. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 134,394. It is a ...
Police Sergeant Gregory Tony
}
Gregory Scott Tony (born 1978) is an American law enforcement officer and the 17th Sheriff of Broward County, Florida.
Tony was initially appointed sheriff in 2019 by Florida governor Ron DeSantis, to fill a vacancy. In November 2020, T ...
as sheriff to replace Israel.
Under Gregory Tony
On January 11, 2019, days after Florida Governor DeSantis took office, he appointed Tony the Sheriff of Broward County.
Tony ran to be elected to a full term in the 2020 Democratic primary, which practically guarantees election in democratic Broward. Israel, Al Pollock, Willie Jones, Andrew Maurice Smalling, and Santiago Vazquez also competed in the election. While the ''Sun-Sentinel
The ''Sun Sentinel'' (also known as the ''South Florida Sun Sentinel'', known until 2008 as the ''Sun-Sentinel'', and stylized on its masthead as ''SunSentinel'') is the main daily newspaper of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, as well as surrounding Br ...
'', Broward County's leading newspaper, endorsed Israel, Tony narrowly prevailed – winning 37% of the vote to Israel's 35%. Tony defeated Wayne Clark in the general election with 63% of the vote.
Tony made police reform the central issue of his campaign.
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. He also fired deputies Kevin Fanti and Jorge Sobrino.[ Tony fired deputies Brian Miller, Edward Eason, and Joshua Stambaugh for neglect of duty during the ]Stoneman Douglas High School shooting
On February 14, 2018, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz opened fire on students and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in the Miami suburban town of Parkland, Florida, murdering 17 people and injuring 17 others. Cruz, a former student at t ...
.
On April 3, 2020, Broward deputy Shannon Bennett, 39, died from COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
which he contracted in the line of duty during the COVID-19 pandemic in Florida
On March 1, 2020, the U.S. state of Florida officially reported its first two COVID-19 cases, in Manatee County, Florida, Manatee and Hillsborough County, Florida, Hillsborough counties. On April 1 Governor of Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis de ...
. As of April 5, more than a dozen Sheriff's Office employees had tested positive. 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
Personal protective equipment (PPE) is protective clothing, helmets, goggles, or other garments or equipment designed to protect the wearer's body from injury or infection. The hazards addressed by protective equipment include physical, elec ...
and Tony's failure to respond to their memos about the situation, 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, to use Bennett's death "to politicize and capitalize on a moment when we lost one of our own".[
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 started an Internal Affairs case.] Tony then terminated the union president in January 2022.
On April 15 there were 77 positive coronavirus cases reported in the department.[
On April 20, the Deputies union released the results of a 693–93 vote of ]no confidence
A motion of no confidence, also variously called a vote of no confidence, no-confidence motion, motion of confidence, or vote of confidence, is a statement or vote about whether a person in a position of responsibility like in government or mana ...
in Tony, and the Lieutenants union, also citing the lack of personal protective equipment, a vote of 33–5.
On June 3, 2020, the union wrote governor DeSantis to formally request that Tony be removed. The governor did not take any action.
Programs
Domestic violence prevention
Broward County Sheriff's Office works in partnership with Women in Distress
Women in Distress (WID) is a nationally accredited, state-certified, full service domestic violence center in Broward County, Florida. WID adopts an empowerment based model. WID provides victims of domestic violence with safe shelter, crisis inte ...
(WID) to prevent domestic violence. WID is a nationally accredited, state-certified, full service domestic violence center in Broward County that provides victims of domestic violence
Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner ...
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.
Media
The Broward County Sheriff's Office was featured prominently in the first season of '' COPS'' in 1989.
District offices
*Central Broward
* Cooper City
*Court Services
*Dania Beach
Dania Beach (Dania until 1998) is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 31,723. It is part of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010 census ...
*Deerfield Beach
Deerfield Beach is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States, just south of the Palm Beach County line. The city is named for the numerous deer that once roamed the area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 86,859. It is a principal ...
* Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
* Lauderdale-By-The-Sea
* Lauderdale Lakes
*North Lauderdale
North Lauderdale is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 44,794. It is a principal city of the Miami metropolitan area, which was home to an estimated 6,166,488 people in the 2020 cens ...
* Oakland Park
* Parkland
*Pembroke Park
Pembroke Park is a town in Broward County, Florida, United States. The town took its name from its location along Pembroke Road. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,260. It is part of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to ...
, West Park
* Pompano Beach
*Port Everglades
Port Everglades is a seaport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, located in Broward County. Port Everglades is one of South Florida's foremost economic engines, as it is the gateway for both international trade and cruise vacations. In 2019, Port Eve ...
* Tamarac
* Weston and Unincorporated West Broward
Fire stations
List of sheriffs
*A.W. Turner (1915 - 1925)
*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 J. Stack
Edward John Stack (April 29, 1910 – November 3, 1989) was a member of the United States House of Representatives from Florida.
Born in Bayonne, New Jersey, to Ireland, Irish immigrants, Stack attended the public schools and received a B.A. ...
(1969 - 1979)
* Robert Butterworth (1979 - 1982)
*George Brescher (1983 - 1985)
*Nick Navarro
Nicholas G. Navarro (November 11, 1929 – September 28, 2011) was a Cuban-American businessman, born in Jaruco, Cuba, in 1929. He served as sheriff of Broward County, Florida, from 1985 to 1993.
He won election for sheriff in 1984. During Nava ...
(1985 - 1993)
*Ron Cochran (1993 - 1997)
*Ken Jenne
Kenneth C. Jenne II (born December 1, 1946) is a former Democratic Party (United States), Democratic member of the Florida legislature, Florida State Senate and a former sheriff of Broward County, which encompasses Fort Lauderdale. He resigned a ...
(1997 - 2007)
*Al Lamberti
Al Lamberti (born April 14, 1954) is a former sheriff of Broward County, which encompasses Fort Lauderdale in southeastern Florida.
Education
Lamberti received a B.A. in criminal justice from Florida Atlantic University in 1981.
Career
Coast G ...
(2007 - 2013)
*Scott Israel
Scott Israel is an American law enforcement officer, and the Police Chief of the city of Opa-locka, Florida.
Israel was chief of police in North Bay Village, Florida, from 2004 to 2008, during which time he was named Police Chief of the Year in ...
(2013 – 2019)
*Gregory Tony
}
Gregory Scott Tony (born 1978) is an American law enforcement officer and the 17th Sheriff of Broward County, Florida.
Tony was initially appointed sheriff in 2019 by Florida governor Ron DeSantis, to fill a vacancy. In November 2020, T ...
(2019–present)
See also
* List of law enforcement agencies in Florida
*County sheriff (Florida)
The County sheriff (Florida) is a Florida constitutional officer and a part of the state judicial branch.
The Sheriff has a duty to enforce both the Florida Constitution and Florida state laws and statutes, and to provide for the security, safety ...
References
External links
Broward Sheriff's Office (BSO) Official Website
{{coord missing, Florida
Broward County, Florida
Fire departments in Florida
Sheriffs' departments of Florida
1915 establishments in Florida