Broward deputies union votes 'no confidence' in Sheriff Israel
A union of deputies in Florida on Thursday announced it has "no confidence" in Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel.
The association, a chapter of the International Union of Police Associations, cited the national criticism surrounding Israel and his office following the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14.
Israel, in response to the announcement of a vote, said union boss Jeff Bell was trying "to use the Parkland tragedy as a bargaining tactic to extort a 6.5 percent raise" from the sheriff's office, according to the Sun-Sentinel.
Bell told the newspaper that "amazing leadership starts from the top, and there is no amazing leadership here," adding that members of the union "have displayed great courage to come out and vote under threat of retaliation and reprisal from the sheriff.”
The sheriff has stood by his leadership of the policing agency and its response to the school shooting, which left 17 people dead.
Bell said the association's next step is to present the vote to Florida Gov. Rick Scott — who rejected calls from some state legislators to suspend Israel after the shooting — and to ask him to "please make change and replace the sheriff with somebody who is capable of amazing leadership."
Anthony Borges, a student who was shot five times while shielding classmates during the massacre but survived, criticized Israel, along with Superintendent Robert Runcie, earlier this month for the attack, saying they "failed us students, teachers and parents alike on so many levels."
A recent police report from the Coral Springs Police Department alleged that one Broward County deputy was "taking cover behind a tree" during the shooting, while others took up "exterior positions behind their vehicles" parked outside the school.
Surveillence footage taken at Stoneman Douglas the day of the incident shows Deputy Scot Peterson, the school's resource officer, never going into the building during the shooting and was heard on radio telling other officers to "stay at least 500 feet away" from the building.
Israel condemned Peterson's actions and requested an internal affairs investigation.
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Not surprising, especially after the deputy on guard duty afte the shootings was found sleeping in his cruiser.
Professionalism is an ethos and it starts with the tone leadership sets. People tend to imitate-if its a loose ship at the top, so it is all the way to the bottom. Time for a new sheriff.
Gary,
No question that the guy is running the Sheriff's Department wrong. Rather than reward professional behavior, he is depending on an old boy system to set the rules, and he should be gone.
This part, however,
is just not going to happen. The Sheriff is an elected official under the Florida Constitution, not a Police Chief, who is a hired employee of the State or County. This one is going to be up to the voters of Broward County. I hope that they make the right decision.
I thought that might be the case, but you never know with another state. I wasn't sur eif the Governor had the ability to boot an elected office holder, based on the fact that it is a law enforcement position. I wonder of the broward County resdietns have any rights, such as 'recall' for someone in that position.
I believe that, in all 50 States, the office of County Sheriff is derived from English Common Law. There, it was known as the Shire Reeve. He was the person in each Shire who was responsible for tax collection and law enforcement, and was directly responsible to the King. Under our system, and under all the State Constitutions, that office was handled in much the same way, except, of course, that, in this country, he is responsible directly to the voters. He is independent of all other County officials and State officials, except if the State courts find that he has committed criminal acts. Only then can he be removed by anyone but the voters. In the only case that I'm personally familiar with, removal wasn't necessary. He and his Undersheriff had been removing Cocaine from the evidence room and selling whatever they didn't use. The District Commander for the State Police talked to them and gave them a deal. "Resign immediately and never return to law enforcement work or we will take the results of our investigation to the State Attorney General for action." They both resigned, not half enough for them as far as I'm concerned. That's not because he beat me in an election, which he did, but because he was a dirty cop. The one thing that a clean cop hates and despises more than anything else is a dirty cop. They make it harder for everyone else who wears a uniform.
It seems that the leadership is MIA...The sheriff deputy found asleep after the shooting was beyond belief.
TTGA is correct, the Sheriff is an elected position and cannot be removed by Scott. It is the voters that have that authority.