South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
Sheriff offers view on critical issues
Broward’s Gregory Tony responds to questions about gun violence, marijuana, race and more
Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony was appointed Broward sheriff earlier this year by Gov. Ron DeSantis, but his views on a range of issues on a range of issues are often more in sync with the voters in the majority Democratic urban county than the conservative Republican governor.
Tony offered his views in response to questions Thursday from South Florida Sun Sentinel editors and reporters. The interview with the Sun Sentinel Editorial Board was his first since replacing suspended Sheriff Scott Israel in January.
The interview covered a range of topics:
Marijuana legalization. It’s likely coming, Tony said, though he declined to say how he would vote on the issue if marijuana legalization is on the state election ballot next year.
Access to guns. Tony doesn’t support expanded access to weapons, including allowing people to openly carry firearms, allowing guns on college campuses, and the program that allows arming of specially trained teachers. Racial disparities. Racism exists in the criminal justice system, Tony said, and as sheriff he has a responsibility to work to combat inequities based on race.
Gun violence
Open carrying of firearms, which is allowed in some states, and some gun rights advocates say
would enhance public safety, isn’t a good idea, the sheriff said.
“I don’t think that’s a method we need to do here. Here’s an element with open carry, people walking around with guns on their hips, walking into Walmart and walking to different facilities that automatically creates a fear or concern from any general civilian walking into these environments.
“What’s the necessity for it? In my opinion it is more of an image thing that could provide intimidation, confusion, and it’s just not necessary. And I can tell you from a tactical standpoint I never want anyone knowing when I’m carrying when I’m off duty,” Tony said.
He said he has similar views about allowing firearms on college campuses.
Tony said he opposes arming classroom teachers, something allowed under state law for educators who receive special training. Public opinion polls show most voters oppose arming teachers.
“I can’t imagine a world where a teacher is preparing her lesson plans in the morning or his, having a cup of coffee and, as they grab their lesson plan, they say ‘Let me grab my .357.’ The moment we start walking into an environment as educators to teach our students with the idea that I also may have to kill this same student, we’re lost as a society, not as a state. So I am 100% opposed,” Tony said.
He said there is “no proven data point” to back up the notion that arming more people would improve public safety by empowering more people to stop active shooters.
In fact, he said, more armed people increases the chances something will go wrong. “Shooting inside of an indoor environment is very complicated,” he said.
An active shooting scene is difficult for a trained officer. He said it’s difficult to conceive of a teacher hearing shooting during a lesson, getting the students in the classroom to safety, going to a hallway with people running, and making a split-second decision about firing on a suspect.
Race
Racial disparities exist in the criminal justice system, said Tony, who is black.
“There is racism in this country. That hasn’t changed. To think that it’s nonexistent in the criminal justice system would be naïve. I can go through 1,000 dynamics that will show you that it is not always fair,” he said.
He cited the decades of differential treatment of possession of crack cocaine, which was often used by people in poor minority neighborhoods, with the treatment of possession of the same amount of powder cocaine, preferred by whites.
As sheriff, Tony said he needs to “bring balance” to the issue. “We can’t go out and be a ‘let’s arrest everyone’ type of agency,” he said.
Arresting someone for 2 grams of marijuana takes a deputy off the street for four hours for paperwork and booking. “That’s four hours that they’re not prepared to handle the real 911 call the shooting, the murder, the kid drowning in a pool.”
Besides fundamental issues of fairness, he said, over-arresting people for low-level offenses such as possession of a small amount of marijuana is expensive and can have decades-long effects on the individuals involved. “I don’t think it’s worthwhile.”
“And then back to the race aspect of that we see more minorities in the situation of being arrested versus our white brothers and sisters here,” he said.
Tony said he’s pushed use of a county program that allows issuance of citations rather than arrests for adults with small quantities of marijuana. “We will enforce the laws but utilize the civil citation program before we start handcuffing and taking people into this system,” he said.
‘Us vs. them’
Racial tensions sometimes flare up involving the Sheriff ’s Office — as in the April case of an unarmed black teen who video footage showed had his head banged into the pavement by two white deputies outside a Tamarac McDonald’s.
Tony said he knows there have been “a lot of eyes on me to either bring balance to the tensions that exist or I’m going to detonate a bomb here. … The tensions can go up or down depending on the decisions that I make, I know that.”
And, he added, he believes that racial tensions involving law enforcement aren’t as high in Broward County as some people believe.
Tony said an “us versus them” mentality can erupt. He said he attempts to balance his desire to hold deputies accountable if they do something wrong with their right to due process before a decision is made.
He said he’s in the process of changing a long-standing professional standards committee, with law enforcement officers and civilians. He said he ultimately wants a committee that has more civilians and isn’t “dominated” by law enforcement.
Marijuana
Tony said he expects to see legalization of recreational marijuana. “I think it’s only a matter of time where it’s going to happen.”
Supporters of recreational marijuana are gathering signatures for a referendum on the November 2020 ballot. Tony called it “interesting,” but declined to say how he’d vote if the measure comes before the public. “I’d have to look really closely at how everything would roll out and impact Broward County.”
Promise program
Tony said he’s working with School Superintendent Robert Runcie on reforms to the School District’s controversial Promise program that gives kids a break by offering alternatives to students accused of some misdemeanors.
The program became a focus of criticism after people learned the shooter in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre had been a Promise participant.
A state commission investigating the Parkland school shooting said Promise was flawed but didn’t contribute to the massacre.
“I’m not against restorative justice programs,” Tony said.
He said the superintendent is “making a lot of changes” based on the Stoneman Douglas Commission’s recommendations but said he wouldn’t automatically accept what Runcie supports. Tony said
Body cameras
Tony said the policy requiring activation of body cameras when deputies are on calls strikes an appropriate balance.
They don’t need to be on when deputies are in their cars,” he said. “We don’t want these things 24/7 because we’re human beings and people make jokes and people make comments that are not necessarily sincere, but it’s just part of day-today life.”
Body cameras have an effect on civilians as well, Tony said, explaining some people don’t escalate situations when they know they’re being recorded.