By Dan Christensen, FloridaBulldog.org
Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony lost the Battle for Deerfield Beach. Now, as the dismantling of BSO continues, he apparently believes it’s time for some guerilla tactics to try and regain the upper hand.
Once again, Tony is using taxpayer dollars to fund his mission, which seems all about frightening Deerfield residents into stampeding City Hall to change commissioners’ minds and retain BSO’s expensive police and fire services.
That isn’t likely to happen, of course. The commission voted 4-1 in January to cut ties to the sheriff’s office after 35 years and the city is now well on its way to re-establishing its own police and fire departments. Indeed, the city this month hired both a police chief, former Miami Beach Assistant Police Chief Daniel Morgalo, and a fire chief, Chantal Botting, a 25-year veteran of Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue, to lead it through the transition and beyond.
As is standard operating procedure for Sheriff Tony, he’s used a mix of personal appearances and social media posts, including videos produced by BSO personnel, and to keep hammering away. He’s also mounted a costly direct-mail campaign aimed at the city’s approximately 91,000 residents using slick, eye-catching brochures with dire word of warning in large typeface like “PUBLIC SAFETY MESSAGE.”
“Changes to POLICE and FIRE RESCUE services are underway. KNOW THE FACTS AND WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU,” it reads.
Having the “facts” spelled out for you by a sheriff whose seven year tenure includes numerous sustained and alleged charges of lying, including under oath, wouldn’t seem particularly reassuring to Deerfield Beach’s residents.
Still, In case they hadn’t heard Tony notifies recipients that BSO police services will end on Sept. 30, 2027 and that because their city leaders haven’t given him “any transition plan” he’s giving one to them. “Under BSO’s plan, beginning on August 1, 2026 [more than a year before its contract expires] the responsible allocation of personnel, resources and services for law enforcement will be phased out of the City. The planned transition will continue through September 30, 2027, and may affect emergency response, staffing levels and service delivery in your area.”
Translation: Don’t expect much from BSO if your home gets broken into, a thug sticks a gun in your belly and steals your wallet or purse, or for any other reason you might need a cop starting August 1. BSO’s contract with your city might have more than a year to run, but BSO may be too busy pulling out of town to show up.
Deerfield Beach City Manager Rodney Brimlow, a retired former BSO district captain in the city, did not respond to requests for comment.
Another colorful page depicts how Tony plans to phase out services. “Service levels and resources will be adjusted as the transition to a Deerfield Beach police department progresses,” BSO’s four-page mailing says.
SHERIFF TONY’S BLUFF
If your house catches fire you should be able to expect BSO Fire Rescue to show up until the end of its contract with the city. In small print beneath the implementation schedule for the various phases it says, “Fire Rescue will transition October 1, 2027.”
The first phase, effective Aug. 1, would impact residents in the city’s most populous western area, from Florida’s Turnpike east to I-95. Phase II, from I-95 east to Dixie Hwy would effect Feb. 1, 2027. Phase III from Dixie Hwy to beachside, Oct.1.
But it’s all an obvious bluff. BSO has two approximately 40-page contracts with Deerfield Beach, one to provide police services and the other for fire services. Tony signed them both in 2021and they are posted on BSO’s website.
BSO explicitly agreed in the police contract that “in the event of termination or expiration of the Agreement, BSO and the CITY shall cooperate in good faith to effectuate a smooth and harmonious transition…and to maintain during such period of transition the same high quality of police service as contemplated by this Agreement.”
There’s no provision requiring the city to provide BSO with a “transition plan” or for BSO to provide such a plan to the city. Further, there’s no provision that would allow the sheriff to phase out services over the contract’s final year.
Indeed, the opposite is true. The contract commits BSO to “make every reasonable effort to maintain the continuity of BSO law enforcement personnel” with “intimate knowledge” of the city. It also says, “The parties recognize that neither party has the right to modify the terms of conditions of this agreement (i.e. staffing, consideration), unless such modification is mutually agreed upon through a formal written amendment…”
The mutually agreed on staffing structure is for 149 total law enforcement personnel, including a captain, three lieutenants, 13 sergeants, 115 deputies and a crime analyst. In addition, seven part-time meter maids, two clerks and a secretary.
The fire service contract, which expires Oct. 1, is a similarly worded pledge of mutual cooperation. It notes that in addition to a fire headquarters on FAU Research Park Blvd there are six stations located around the city. Total staffing is 144 persons, including 62 firefighter/paramedics, 22 captains, 26 lieutenants, 21 driver engineers, seven prevention personnel, four battalion chiefs and a district chief.
Tony’s announced plan to draw down BSO resources from the city starting well in advance of Deerfield’s ability to have a fully operational police department is playing with fire should he actually go through with it. The city would seem likely to sue for damages. Worse, it could result in some unforeseen tragedy.
Such outcomes contrast with the way Tony depicts himself to the public. Besides a picture of himself, he included this sentence: “Our responsibility is to ensure a professional, responsible transition that maintains public safety while allowing the City of Deerfield Beach to move forward with its chosen direction.”
Tony encourages residents with questions about his decision “or the future of public safety services in the city” to contact their elected city commissioners. To make it easy, he includes all their names, phone numbers and email addresses.
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