BSO Loses Accreditation; Former Sheriff Scott Israel To Run To Get Job Back
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Big news involving the Broward Sheriff's Office in the wake of the deadly shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
According to CBS4 News partner the Miami Herald, a state panel held a unanimous vote to revoke the department's law enforcement accreditation.
BSO is the largest sheriff's office in the State of Florida.
Law enforcement accreditation is a voluntary certification that agencies seek to obtain, but losing it will not impact BSO's operations in any major ways, per the Herald.
The Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation, or CFA, specifically cited the way BSO handled the deadly school shooting in Parkland, as well as the shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in 2017, as the reasons why it held the vote.
Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony reacted to the loss of accreditation in a statement saying, "I am focused on improving the Broward Sheriff's Office and correcting the long-neglected issues that have jeopardized our community's safety in the past. I continue to receive a tremendous outpouring of support every day and Broward residents are pleased to see a dedicated professional, who puts public safety over politics, working diligently to renew our deputies' commitment to always protect the security and safety of our community. I intend to run for election to ensure that Broward is always first."
Meanwhile, suspended BSO Sheriff Scott Israel wants his job back.
"I want to get back to the job that folks of Broward County elected me to do and will re-elect me to do in 2020," said Israel.
Israel is filing to run for his old job. He wants to be sheriff again after he was removed from office by Governor Ron DeSantis.
Israel was in Tallahassee last month asking the Senate to toss out the governor's suspension. The governor cites the deadly Fort Lauderdale airport shooting and the Parkland Massacre when he called Israel incompetent and negligent.
"To say incompetence and negligence, it's just political posturing, it's sad, but like Dr. King said an injustice anywhere is an injustice everywhere and this county recognizes that and they're not fooled," said Israel.
Current Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony was appointed by the governor. He said, "I intend to run for election to ensure that Broward is always first." He went on to say, "I am focused on improving the Broward Sheriff's Office and correcting the long-neglected issues that have jeopardized our community's safety in the past."
We asked Israel for comment about the loss of accreditation. He chose not to respond.
