Sheriff Gregory Tony's Initiatives
Sheriff Gregory Tony is committed to making the Broward Sheriff’s Office the most professional and inclusive public safety agency in South Florida. As Sheriff, he is prioritizing progressive community-oriented policing initiatives combined with increased training and intelligence-led policing. Take a look at some of the positive ways Sheriff Gregory Tony is changing the Broward Sheriff’s Office to better serve YOU.
WE ARE LISTENING!
Every day, the men and women of BSO strive to provide the best public safety services to the residents and visitors of Broward County, and their hard work is paying off. In February 2022,
BSO conducted a poll to ask Broward County residents which BSO initiatives are most important. This is what they said:
SHOP TALK WITH THE SHERIFF PODCAST
In this podcast series, Sheriff Gregory Tony takes listeners inside BSO, discussing topics like police reform, mental health, internet safety for children, and initiatives designed to enhance community trust. Click below to listen to each episode or subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast app such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts.
Click below to listen to some episode highlights:
- All Episodes
- Police Reform and Its Importance to the Community
- Social Justice Task Force
- Protect Your Children from Online Predators
- It's OK to Not be OK
- Increase Accountability and Transparency at the Broward Sheriff's Office
- Use of Force Review Board
SHERIFF GREGORY TONY'S PILLARS OF BSO
A video series intended to give you an inside look at the important work BSO has been doing to better serve and protect the Broward Community. Click below to watch each individual video.
PILLARS OF BSO: Full Video
PILLAR 1: Promoting from Within
PILLAR 2: Accountability & Transparency
PILLAR 3: Serving the Broward Community
PILLAR 4: Training and Preparedness
PILLAR 5: Recruiting
PILLAR 6: School Safety and Technology
SHERIFF GREGORY TONY'S INITIATIVES
BSO YOUTH L.E.A.D. CAMP
The BSO Youth L.E.A.D. Camp (Learning, Educating And Developing) is an innovative 8-week summer program that helps develop Broward County youth into strong, responsible and civically-engaged adults. In partnership with community-based organizations, the program mentors youth ages 10-18 and focuses on instilling the following Pillars of Success:
- Education
- Life Skills
- Career Development
- Financial Literacy
- Community Service
- Government/Civic Responsibility
- Health and Wellness
The road to responsible adulthood and future success begins by exposing youth to positive values and role models. Program goals include:
- Fostering stronger relationships with Broward County youth.
- Preparing Broward County youth to become leaders of tomorrow.
- Exposing Broward County youth to the vast industries available to them.
- Becoming responsible citizens.
- Giving them the skills needed to live a safe and productive life.
- Exposing them to the workings of their government and what their civic responsibilities are as citizens at the local, state and national level.
- Engaging youth in community service projects.
- Teaching youth conflict resolution skills.
For more information, click here.
ACCOUNTABILITY & TRANSPARENCY
Since becoming sheriff, Sheriff Tony has made significant changes within BSO to build public trust by bringing accountability and transparency to this agency and to this community.
Today, BSO deputies are held accountable for their actions. Sheriff Tony has made it very clear that egregious use of force will not be tolerated under his leadership.
Sheriff Tony also appointed new members to the Professional Standards Committee, which includes minority members from the community, to review internal disciplinary matters and established a Use of Force Review Board, the first ever in BSO's history.
We continue to ensure we are hiring the right people, including more minorities and women, and are providing them with the appropriate training.
In addition, every deputy in our department continues to be trained in de-escalation techniques along with safe arrest methods. Sheriff Tony is also allocating more than $1 million to implement racial equity and implicit bias training programs.
Further, all Department of Law Enforcement deputies have body worn cameras and are required to activate them prior to any interaction with civilians.
Click here to view the FY 2020-2021 BSO Annual Report: Annual-Report_2020-2021FS.pdf.
THREAT MANAGEMENT UNIT AND REAL TIME CRIME CENTER
BSO's Threat Management Unit (TMU) and Real Time Crime Center (RTCC) prioritize public safety. Using cutting-edge technology and proactive policing, the TMU and RTCC are helping us achieve our number one goal — keeping our kids and community safe. Here are some of the ways we are achieving results:
INVESTIGATING THREATS: TMU has investigated more than 1,530 potential violent incidents, resulting in over 200 arrests.
PREVENTING VIOLENCE: With access to nearly 18,000 cameras in schools, businesses and public places, the RTCC assists patrol units with live intelligence during active incidents countywide.
SECURING FIREARMS: BSO has served more than 415 Risk Protection Orders, removing firearms from individuals who are a threat to themselves or others.
ADDRESSING MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS: BSO's Behavioral Health Services Section monitors individuals who pose a risk to public safety. Currently, the unit is monitoring more than 730 individuals and is connecting them with critical mental health services.
*Updated January 2023
STAFF TRAINING AND EDUCATION
Training and education are paramount for operational preparedness and excellence in service. BSO partners with local universities to expand higher education opportunities for all personnel and increase participation in executive-level training courses. Since 2019, more than 200 employees have enrolled in higher education institutions. In addition, over 50 employees have graduated with masters or doctoral degrees.
BSO has also increased participation in executive-level training courses by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). In the past four years, four BSO commanders have completed the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia. In addition, BSO personnel participate in Northwestern Executive Leadership Programs, POLEX Penn State Executive Development Course and the Wildsparq Leadership Development Platform.
As an academic himself, Sheriff Gregory Tony understands he must lead by example. In 2022, he completed the FBI's prestigious National Executive Institute Leadership Course. This tremendous opportunity is given to only the top law enforcement administrators in the nation, and he was honored to be part of it. Sheriff Tony is also currently pursuing his Ph.D. at Nova Southeastern University.
COLD CASE UNIT
"Gone, but not forgotten" is the impetus behind BSO's dedicated Cold Case Unit. Formed in 2019, the unit offers increased attention to unsolved cases. The cases date back to 1963, and today, approximately 350 remain open and unsolved. The detectives investigating these crimes work tirelessly to search for one clue that could help us solve them. Making progress in these cases can be challenging; however, significant technological advances have led to greater success.
In 2021, the unit identified and criminally charged a man known as the Pillowcase Rapist, who was responsible for many sexual assaults in the 1980s. In another, the unit solved the 1994 rape and murder of an 89-year-old woman. These are two of the nine cases the BSO Cold Case Unit has solved since its inception.
To bring more exposure and uncover possible new leads, we launched an exclusive Cold Case video series. I encourage you to take some time to view the series on the Broward Sheriff's Office YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/BrowardSheriffsOffice.
Please contact Broward Crime Stoppers at (954) 493-TIPS (8477) if you have any information about these or other crimes.
BSO ON YOUR BLOCK: Park, Walk and Talk Initiative
Sheriff Gregory Tony is committed to strengthening relationships between law enforcement and all of our Broward communities.
In August 2019, Sheriff Tony launched the BSO Park, Walk and Talk initiative. "Our deputies will be parking their cars, walking the neighborhoods and talking with residents and businesses," Sheriff Tony said. "In addition to our community events, foot and bike patrols and other programs, this is another chance for us to talk to you in your neighborhood."
At BSO, we want to hear about community concerns to determine how we are better able to assist. "We must respect our communities, and our residents must be able to trust and respect their law enforcement," Sheriff Tony said.
BSO is in compliance with the eight policies outlined in the #8CANTWAIT campaign.
