Sheriff Gregory Tony Monthly Message
The Broward Sheriff’s Office has recently garnered national and international recognition for exceptional performance across all aspects of our public safety operations. These awards and accolades indeed boost our morale but, more importantly — exemplify our organization’s commitment to excellence in service.
This past year, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) presented BSO SWAT operators with one of its highest honors: The FBI Shield of Bravery. These highly trained tactical operators pulled two FBI agents from the line of fire. Though the agents tragically sustained fatal injuries, the SWAT operators performed remarkably in the face of grave danger to save their lives. The award they received is rarely issued and bestowed only for acts of exceptional heroism, well above the call of duty. The award is an unwavering testament to our training and preparedness, and seeing these dedicated first responders receive this supreme honor was one of my proudest moments as sheriff.
As an organization, we also realize the benefits of safeguarding our communities through proactive and intelligence-led policing. Recently named Gang Unit of the Year for their detection and prevention of substantial illicit activity by the Florida Gang Investigators Association, the BSO Gang Investigations Task Force is significantly reducing crime throughout Broward County.
Every accolade we receive is significant to the progress our organization is making. BSO Sergeant Eric Girado was recognized as the Investigator of the Year by the Florida Internal Affairs Investigator Association. Sgt. Girado’s recognition is a strong endorsement of our commitment to responsible, transparent policing of ourselves. Since assuming command of the organization, my administration has focused on maintaining the highest standards of accountability, ensuring that any allegations of misconduct against employees are investigated fairly, thoroughly and objectively.
BSO’s Neighborhood Support Team received well-deserved recognition as the Outstanding Crime Prevention Unit of the Year by the Florida Crime Prevention Association. The community initiatives launched by this exceptional team have helped support our residents while building trust and respect and keeping them informed on important public safety matters.
In October 2023, Dr. James Roach received the State Medical Director of the Year Award from the Florida Department of Health at the EMS Awards Ceremony. The Raymond H. Alexander – EMS Medical Direction Award is a prestigious honor and a testament to Dr. Roach’s outstanding contributions to our organization and emergency medical services. Also in October, the BSO Fire Rescue and Emergency Services Advanced Life Saving (ALS) team excelled, winning an award at a competition. The team’s dedication and expertise highlight its commitment to excellence in EMS.
Our efforts to communicate with and inform our community of critical public safety matters extend to a variety of digital mediums. This year, our Community Affairs Division and Public Information Office won three Telly Awards, a premier award honoring excellence in video and television productions. The videos awarded highlight critical public safety information and, in one instance, assisted the BSO Cold Case Unit in highlighting a decades-old unsolved homicide case.
The achievements highlighted here share a common purpose—all are a product of our promise and commitment to be the most progressive, innovative and service-oriented public safety organization protecting the residents and visitors of Broward County. We are proud of each of these distinguished honors and will continue to push forward with the same vigor to reach even higher levels of performance and accomplishment.
Sheriff Gregory Tony
Service Equals Reward
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