Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Tony declares sheriff victory over Israel
Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony declared victory Tuesday night in a bitterly fought race against his predecessor Scott Israel that featured relentless back-and-forth attacks.
Tony, 41, led former Sheriff Scott Israel by about 4,000 votes as of 10 p.m. in the Democratic primary with 567 of 577 precincts reporting. Four other candidates rounded out the crowded contest that turned nasty as the frontrunners jostled for the lead.
“I am deeply honored that Democratic voters have chosen me to lead the Broward Sheriff ’s Office into a brighter, safer future,” Tony said in a prepared statement.
“We’ve come a long way in the last 18 months, but there is still much work to be done. Together, we’re reforming the Sheriff ’s Office, promoting good deputies and keeping our communities safer by embracing police reform.”
Israel, 64, had not conceded defeat.
If he prevails, Tony is heavily favored to defeat the Republican challenger Wayne Clark and independent Charles E. Whatley in the Nov. 3 general election, given Broward County’s political makeup.
Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Tony as sheriff when he suspended Israel in January 2019 over failures related to mass shootings at the Fort Lauderdale airport and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.
Tony, a first-time candidate, faced a barrage of attacks that he was dishonest about his past. During the campaign, it came to light that Tony had shot and killed an 18-year-old man when he was a teenager living in a rough neighborhood in Philadelphia.
Tony was found not guilty in the 1993 shooting, which he said it was done in self-defense. But he faced scrutiny throughout the campaign for not disclosing the killing to DeSantis or on police applications.
The former chief of the Coral Springs Police Department said he wouldn’t have hired Tony in 2005
if he had disclosed the incident. Tony maintained he didn’t have a criminal record and wasn’t required to disclose the killing. The application, though, asked detailed questions about his past, including whether he had ever been detained by an officer for “investigative purposes.”
Tony wasn’t known in Broward political circles when he was appointed sheriff. His highest rank in law enforcement had been as a sergeant at the Coral Springs Police Department. He left the Coral Springs Police Department in 2016 to head his consulting company, Blue Spear Solutions, which offers active-shooter training.
Tony made history when he was appointed, becoming Broward’s first Black sheriff.
On the campaign trail, Tony touted his work updating training protocols at the Broward Sheriff ’s Office and firing deputies accused of using excessive force. He earned the endorsement of Parkland families who lost loved ones in the 2018 shooting at Stoneman Douglas.
Broward County Mayor Dale Holness, an early supporter of Tony’s, said Tuesday night he was impressed by what he has seen from Tony. He said it appeared to him that Tony would hold his lead and emerge victorious.
“Sheriff Tony came into office under circumstances that many questioned,” Holness said. “The fact is he performed the job with excellence. He has transformed that department, putting measures in place that holds officers accountable for their actions and making investments in training programs that helps the officers.”
Tony also went after Israel’s record, highlighting lapses at the agency that led to his downfall. Israel rose to national prominence after the Feb. 14, 2018, Parkland school shooting that left 17 students and staff members dead. In a CNN interview, Israel proclaimed he had shown “amazing leadership.”
Deputies who responded to the shooting failed to rush into the school to confront the gunman. Israel faced criticism for a policy that stated deputies “may” instead of “shall” confront a gunman. Israel defended the wording as being necessary to avoid forcing deputies into “suicide missions.”
Tony clashed with union leaders, who accused him of not doing enough to protect deputies from the new coronavirus. Four employees have died of the virus.
Al Pollock was in third place, followed by Santiago Vazquez, Willie Jones and Andrew Smalling.