One of the most highly-watched races for Tuesday’s Primary Election in Broward has Sheriff Gregory Tony facing several challengers in his reelection bid.
Incumbent Gregory Tony emerged victorious in Tuesday's Primary Election, securing the Democratic nomination in the Broward County Sheriff's race.
Tony received 50% of the vote over Steven "Steve" Geller's 33%. Al Pollock followed behind with 12%, and David Howard with 5%.
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“I’m truly honored to once again be selected by the Democratic Party to serve as their nominee. For approximately six years, I’ve focused on reforming the Broward Sheriff’s Office into the finest public safety organization in the country," Tony said in a statement. “I’m extremely grateful for the people’s continued trust and confidence in my administration. My devotion to the people of Broward County will remain steadfast. I will always prioritize public safety over politics."
He will face an independent challenger in November.
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The Broward Sheriff's Office is the largest in Florida, with 5,800 employees, including more than 2,700 certified deputies and more than 700 fire rescue professionals. The department has an annual operating budget of nearly $1 billion.
BSO provides full-time law enforcement services in 14 Broward cities and towns and in all of its unincorporated areas, serving more than one-third of the county.
Tony was appointed sheriff in 2019 by Gov. Ron DeSantis after predecessor Scott Israel's alleged mishandling of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre in February 2018, a decision that was upheld by the Florida Senate.
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Tony's time as sheriff has not been without controversy.
A Florida Department of Law Enforcement report issued in 2022 said Tony repeatedly lied on his police applications, including failing to disclose that he fatally shot another teenager during a fight when he was 14. Tony was later found to have acted in self-defense and acquitted, but the applications required the disclosure of all arrests no matter the court decision.
The FDLE said Tony could not be criminally charged because the false statements happened so long ago the statute of limitations had expired.
The investigation found that in 2003, Tony answered truthfully that he had once used LSD as a teenager when he applied for a job with the Tallahassee Police Department, his first law enforcement application. After that admission caused his rejection, investigators found that on subsequent police applications Tony answered “no” when asked if he had ever used or handled hallucinogenic drugs.
Investigators say Tony also repeatedly lied on police and Florida driver’s license applications by answering “no” when asked if his license was ever suspended. Pennsylvania had suspended his license in 1996 for failing to pay traffic tickets. That last happened in 2019 when he applied for a new license shortly after he became sheriff.
In April of this year, FDLE recommended suspending Tony's law enforcement certification for six months over allegations of lying on the driver's license applications.
In May, an administrative law judge said Tony should receive a written reprimand, be required to complete ethics training and be placed on an 18-month “probationary status.”
The judge's order will go to the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission for a final decision.
Tony, for his part, has focused on the initiatives he's implemented during his tenure as sheriff.
They include "a state-of-the-art Real Time Crime Center and Threat Management Division allowing for enhanced school safety, the building of a new Research, Development, and Training Center, created strict policies and practices to ensure transparency and accountability, established varying degrees of community policing models throughout our county," according to his campaign website.
Tony's plan for the future includes building community trust, reducing emergency response times and prioritizing training and development.
