To further assist our readers in making educated decisions when voting in November, we have sent a list of questions to each candidate running for the Sheriff of Broward County.
Gregory Tony
- What is your full name and what position are you running for?
Gregory Tony running for Sheriff of Broward County
2. Where are you originally from? Why did you choose to move to this city/county/school district/state district? How long have you been here?
I was born in raised in Philadelphia Pennsylvania.. I received my Bachelors degree from Florida State University and moved to Broward County to join the Coral Springs Police Department where I served for 15 years before starting a business and, eventually, accepting command of the Broward Sheriff’s Office.
3. Why are you running for this position?
I am running for Sheriff to put the training and policies in place that will guarantee the highest level of public safety for the residents of Broward County while promoting community trust with greater accountability, transparency, and diversity.
-Have you run in the past?
No.
4. If elected, what is your first point of action?
I will continue improving training, technology, and policy to provide the best public safety services while building better community trust.
-Why?
When I accepted command of the Broward Sheriff’s Office, it was clear that better training and greater accountability was necessary to bring the agency up to the standards that Broward County residents expect and deserve. The agency’s response during the mass shootings at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School and the Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport uncovered massive deficiencies in training and policy. Upon accepting command, I immediately revamped and improved active shooter training, expanded the Real Time Crime Center to allow BSO to monitor school campuses in real-time, installed bleed kits in every school, and reformed BSO’s incident command policies and structure. I will continue to do what is necessary to improve school and public safety and to repair the public trust by holding our officers accountable, expanding community policing, and building diversity throughout the agency.
5. What mission do you feel most passionate about?
The mission I am most passionate about is improving the relationship between law enforcement and the communities we serve.
-Why?
As a Black child growing up in a community filled with violence and destructive police-community tension, I experienced firsthand the difference good policing can make in a neighborhood and in an individual’s life. The early experiences I had in Philadelphia inform me daily about the importance of trust between law enforcement and the communities we serve.
6. Where do you feel our city needs improvement?
Improving public safety and rebuilding public trust are top priorities in Parkland and all municipalities in Broward County.
-Why?
Rebuilding trust between Parkland residents and BSO continues to be a challenge after MSD. It is a challenge the entire agency and the Parkland District hopes will be met with better service and improved community outreach.
7. How do you plan to involve residents in the decision-making process in our town?
District’s Neighborhood Support Team is working with the Parkland District and residents to identify challenges unique to Parkland. While these efforts have been somewhat curtailed during the COVID-19 pandemic, The District Command continues to engage residents as venues and technology allow.
H. Wayne Clark will be running against Gregory Tony. Our attempts to reach him were unsuccessful.