FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. _ Revealing his plans for the force, new Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony on Thursday said he will ramp up training for thousands of deputies, including for mass shootings. He also confirmed he will run for election in 2020 because "there is so much work to do."
Tony, 40, who has been on the job for nearly four weeks, was sworn in on Jan. 11, the same day Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended former Sheriff Scott Israel. DeSantis suspended Israel amid criticism over the agency's response to the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High last year.
Tony shared his vision for the Sheriff's Office during a meeting with reporters.
"I'm never going to be satisfied," Tony said about changes he wants or has begun.
They include creating and filling 25 training positions so that 2,800 deputies will receive annual coursework, including active shooter training, and establishing training centers for BSO personnel.
Though Tony said "I have the very great fortune that I wasn't a politician" when he was tapped for the job, he said he will run for election in 2020, as a Democrat.
He said he has a lot of work to do to restore public confidence in the agency that has about 5,500 employees.
"We still have a long ways to go to be the best that we can be," Tony said.
Tony described his first few weeks on the job as "drinking through a fire hose" but praised the leaders within BSO who he is relying upon and said, "Fortunately, I don't have to do it myself."
