Deerfield-News.com-Deerfield Beach, Fl- OPINION-Today I am posting something written by a reader and posted to Facebook. Only the headline is mine…….
Editorial-Sun-Sentinel and photo credit- Facebook post of-Carrie Hellenbrect-
Looks like I am not the only one who feels this was a power play/taunt by Tony . Failing to shake the hand of a resident that questioned his tactics……inexcusable
BSO’s silly show of force makes things worse | Editorial
Armored vehicles led the way as dozens of SWAT team members in the Broward Sheriff’s Office paraded through Deerfield Beach Wednesday. A sheriff’s helicopter hovered overhead and BSO motorcycles and squad cars were parked sideways in the roadway, briefly blocking traffic.
A crime scene? No. Not at all.
This was a needless display of police muscle by — who else? — Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony, still trying to seize the upper hand in a long-running dispute with the city that he initiated by telling the city he will terminate BSO’s police and fire-rescue contracts.
It was all for show and it looked good online, which was the point. Tony posted a polished video set to music as he blasted city leaders for “political games,” the reason he went rogue again.
The obvious waste of police resources needlessly rattled nerves. Joe Merilli of Altoona, Pa., who loves the city and has vacationed there for 23 years, posted on Facebook: “Anybody know why police are all around the pier area and a helicopter circling above?”
This wasn’t public safety. It was public relations, done poorly.
‘We are not vendors’
In May, the sheriff insisted on charging the city 10.7% more next year, partly to raise deputies’ salaries. But that far exceeds a 5% annual cap in the contract.
When City Manager Rodney Brimlow, a retired BSO captain, rejected the increase with backing from commissioners, Tony launched a barrage of personal attacks on the manager, taunting him with talk of an arrest and threatening to “destroy him,” a recorded meeting with BSO’s Deerfield Beach personnel shows.
Such outrageous talk from an armed law enforcement officer who’s an elected official sets a terrible example for all men and women in law enforcement.
It should have seized the attention of Gov. Ron DeSantis, who appointed Tony. But it didn’t, because it mimics DeSantis’ own hyper-aggressive behavior toward anyone who questions him.
After Wednesday’s hot, humid SWAT team conditioning run, Tony promised, “We will not back down.” Facing dozens of BSO officers, he said: “The mission stays the same, regardless of the political games. We’re first responders. We’re not vendors.”
That was a direct message to Mayor Todd Drosky, who has referred to BSO as a “contract vendor,” a term that produced backlash against the mayor on social media.
Drosky repeated the phrase to us and said the city will explore “every option” for replacing BSO, including a possible merger with neighboring Pompano Beach.
A typical city vendor can be replaced easily. But in this city of 87,000, the sheriff cannot be.
The trust is broken
Behind the scenes, the sheriff and the city will have to endure each other as they likely negotiate a winding down of their relationship that could take two years.
A sense of trust vital to any serious relationship is broken, Commissioner Michael Hudak told the Sun Sentinel Editorial Board.
Hudak said Wednesday’s show of force made things worse. He said Tony never notified city officials in advance, and should have been required to get a parade permit for closing streets when no emergency existed.
“He feels that he doesn’t have to abide by the rules,” Hudak said.
Sheriff Tony had a heated exchange with a Deerfield Beach resident who questioned his tactics, and Tony refused to shake the man’s hand.
Broward’s sheriff prefers confrontation to compromise. His fiery temperament surfaced again Wednesday in a heated confrontation with a resident that was recorded and released by the city at the Sun Sentinel’s request.
“Follow the contract. Follow the rules. That’s all I ask,” a young man in a blue T-shirt told Tony.
As their six-minute exchange ended, Tony refused to shake the man’s hand, even though he’s one of the sheriff’s constituents.
“No. Don’t touch me,” Tony said.
City officials could only watch helplessly as BSO cars blocked State Road A1A, another sign of the ruinous relationship between the sheriff and the city.
After 35 years, this police-fire partnership is in tatters, and the main culprit is not the city manager — it’s Sheriff Tony.
The above is the opinion of the publisher and Deerfield-News.Inc
