A Message from Sheriff Gregory Tony:
As the holiday season approaches, the Broward Sheriff’s Office is filled with gratitude for the privilege of serving you. During this time of reflection and celebration, I want to share some of the remarkable achievements we have made throughout the year. In 2023, BSO has continued developing innovative solutions focused on the safety and well-being of Broward County. These efforts have made us an even more accountable, efficient organization and a true leader in public safety.
PUBLIC SAFETY: Our commitment to keeping the public safe remains our top priority. By utilizing advanced technology, our Real Time Crime Center (RTCC) can proactively detect potential threats and prevent acts of mass violence before they occur. Our success has been met with an increase in funding, allowing for the expansion of our technological capabilities further elevating our proactive policing. Our other bold policing initiatives include the Burglary Apprehension Team (BAT) and Violent Intervention Proactive Enforcement Response (VIPER) units. Collectively, these units have brought violent offenders to justice, thwarted dangerous, illegal street racing, and participated in various countywide operations to combat violence in our community.
SCHOOL SAFETY: In addition to the RTCC, we continue to implement new programs, bolster training, and forge partnerships with local, state, and federal law enforcement to enhance school safety. This year, our efforts expanded to address a fast-emerging crime targeting our youth: financial sextortion. We partnered with Broward County Public Schools and the South Florida Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force to launch an educational campaign to raise awareness and prevent further victimization.
TRAINING AND PREPAREDNESS: Training and preparedness are paramount to public safety. As we approach the grand opening of our Research, Development, and Training Center (RDTC), we will stay committed to elevating the training techniques, tactics, and education for all our first responders and civilian staff. The 108,000-square-foot state-of-the-art training center will be like no other in the state and will serve as a model for other public safety agencies to follow.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: The innovative initiatives we’ve implemented this year have worked to continue enhancing our relationship with our residents and build trust within our community. Our Neighborhood Support Team is reaching out and collaborating with communities that traditionally shied away from law enforcement. The Park, Walk, and Talk program has yielded more than 77,000 encounters with individuals in the community, building bonds of support and resiliency. This year, we had the privilege of investing $880,000 back into the community, supporting non-profit organizations focused on crime prevention empowerment and creating lasting and meaningful change in the lives of countless individuals throughout Broward County. In addition, we’ve launched vital mental health programs to support individuals experiencing mental health crises and connect them to critical community resources instead of putting them in jail.
DIVERSITY: Since day one, I have promoted people from within the organization, which has undoubtedly contributed to our operational success due to the years of valuable institutional knowledge. This year was no exception. I was honored to promote additional women and minorities to leadership positions, further diversifying the organization to reflect our community. I am proud to say that today, BSO has the most diverse command staff in the agency’s 108-year history.
ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY: BSO remains a beacon of accountability and transparency, exemplified by our actions. This year, we welcomed new members to BSO’s Social Justice Task Force (SJTF). The task force, launched in 2020 following the murder of George Floyd and the deaths of other persons of color, is comprised of Broward residents, community stakeholders, and BSO leaders, who take an active role in addressing community concerns. These efforts achieved transformative and everlasting change for all our residents. In addition, our Office of Inspector General, created in 2021 to ensure the organization runs efficiently, economically, and responsibly, continued to investigate employee misconduct allegations thoroughly.
While our primary mission is to ensure the safety and well-being of our residents, we have been recognized locally, nationally, and internationally for the exceptional work we do to serve Broward County. It is an honor we do not take lightly. Learn more about our awards and accolades by visiting www.sheriff.org/SheriffTony.
I am proud of the remarkable strides we’ve made in 2023. As we move forward, we will continue to listen to your needs, elevate our training, enhance our capabilities, demonstrate transparency, and maintain accountability to achieve our public safety mission.
On behalf of the men and women of BSO, I wish you a safe and joyous holiday season.
Sheriff Gregory Tony
Service Equals Reward
Certain Broward cities like Coconut Creek, Hallandale Beach, Pembroke Pines, Sunrise, Plantation, Davie, Margate, Miramar, Lauderhill, Lighthouse Point, and Coral Springs maintain their police departments; however, BSO does provide communications and dispatch services to the following cities: Central Broward, Cooper City, Dania Beach, Deerfield Beach, Ft Lauderdale-Hollywood Int’l Airport, Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, Lauderdale Lakes, North Lauderdale, Oakland Park, Parkland, West Park, Pompano Beach, Port Everglades, Tamarac, Weston, and unincorporated West Broward.
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