Sheriff Tony is failing all of us during coronavirus crisis

COVID-19 is not only the single biggest threat to all first responders, but it has the potential to take more lives of police officers in a single month than will fall to gunfire nationwide in a year.

Yet, regrettably, Broward Sheriff Greg Tony is failing to lead BSO in the face of an unprecedented pandemic menacing South Florida by ignoring the Broward Sheriff ’s Office Deputies Association Union and our repeated requests for personal protective equipment, and berating our union when we call attention to public safety concerns.

On personal protection equipment, the union sent email letters directly to Tony on March 16 and March 23 alerting him to our members’ concerns not only for their own protection but to protect the public from deputies transmitting the deadly virus while on duty.

The only response we got was a threat of disciplinary action if we shared our First Responders’ “inaccurate issues” in the media.

It wasn’t until March 17, the day after the union’s first letter, that BSO sent the first set of N95 masks to the districts. Unfortunately, there were not enough masks for each deputy.

Then, March 23, the union advised Tony in an email that the union had taken the initiative to purchase 1,400 3M-N95 masks and was prepared to donate them to BSO. To date, Tony has neither responded to our communications nor even acknowledged his receipt of them.

Even before the coronavirus, Tony kept his social distancing, if you will, with the union. It’s been more than 400 days — and counting — since he has had any face-to-face communication with the union regarding any agency concern.

In this latest crisis, rather than accept our overture and demonstrate some compassion and leadership, Tony lost his composure last Saturday (which was captured on video) in front of BSO deputies who gathered at the North Broward Hospital to escort fallen Deputy Shannon Bennet to the funeral home. Bennett died a week after being diagnosed with COVID-19 at age 39.

Tony went into tirade in front of BSO deputies, using profanity in response to a union press release, which made an offering of condolences to a deputy felled by this pandemic and reiterating the desperate need for more PPE kits, among other things. Tony’s behavior was unprofessional and unbecoming to say the least.

While BSO employees are being exposed and testing positive for COVID-19, Tony has been politically fiddling with facts like Nero as Rome burned; holding press conferences to state everything is fine.

Tony, who was picked by Gov. Ron DeSantis to replace former Sheriff Scott Israel, talked his way into our Public

Safety Building with claims to being an “expert” regarding such emergencies. COVID-19 has peeled away the curtains and exposed Tony for the salesman he is. With less law enforcement experience than most BSO road patrol deputies and sergeants, Tony is simply overwhelmed by this public safety emergency.

It’s good. I don’t know how you want to word it but it’s 70% of the road patrol deputies and Sgts that have more experience, not just Deputies

Even when DeSantis reached out to him and offered the assistance of the National Guard to oversee the disembarkment of sick cruise passengers at Port Everglades, the Tony refused and used the opportunity to post an Instagram video of BSO escorting busses of cruise passengers to the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport.

This so-called BSO savior, the man who rode into office with the support of distraught Parkland parents and this union, has failed to provide leadership at this time when it is needed most.

What now?

For the short-term, we need to protect each other as best we can with the tools and equipment our members can scrounge and individuals in our community may donate. For the long-term, Broward needs a Sheriff not afraid to surround himself with strong, independent-thinking leaders, and who is not threatened when those with greater experience speak out. The safety of Broward citizens, and that of the BSO deputies who serve them, need to be our primary objectives.

We need to reinstate a BSO program that used to equip every deputy with full PPE kits, for protection against the coronavirus and other infectious diseases. It was neglected and fell by the wayside when the cost of replacing expired protective gear was deemed no longer necessary or worth the expense. All first responders deserve the best equipment to serve the citizens of Broward.

In these difficult times, more than at any time before, we also need an open line of communication between the Sheriff and all unions in order to help disseminate accurate information.

Most of all, we need a leader who can inspire us and have our back. Tony has failed us and Broward County on both accounts.