Sheriff Gregory Tony
A Message from Sheriff Gregory Tony:
In the coming weeks, cities and counties throughout Florida will enact new ordinances to remove homeless persons from public parks, streets and buildings.
These ordinances are in response to a state law, HB 1365, that made it illegal to camp or sleep in public spaces and placed the burden on cities and counties to enforce the new law or face legal consequences from the state attorney general and citizen-initiated lawsuits.
Some municipal leaders have already called for the arrest and jailing of homeless individuals who refuse to go to a shelter or accept assistance. However, homelessness is not a crime, and the county jail system is not a solution to the homeless crisis. Telling residents that placing a homeless person in jail will allow them to receive mental health and substance abuse treatment is not reality-based or a feasible option. Furthermore, the Broward County jails are currently understaffed and underfunded. Jail is not the place to shelter and provide services to the homeless, and I have directed our Department of Detention to no longer accept individuals who are brought to the jail for purely municipal ordinance violations. So, rounding up the homeless and bringing them to the jails in downtown Fort Lauderdale or Pompano Beach is neither a good solution nor an available one.
One of the significant problems Broward County faces is the lack of sufficient shelter space for the county’s homeless population. Under the new law, if a county does not have enough bed space, it may designate a suitable location for homeless individuals to camp that meets their public safety and sanitation needs. Our county officials are working with local homeless advocates and municipalities to determine where and what type of camping facilities will be designated. Many Broward cities have already created local options for their homeless populations, including temporary housing, community-based shelters and housing assistance to keep the homeless, especially families and veterans, in safe shelter and off the streets. Community courts have also been established to prevent homeless individuals from becoming entangled in the criminal justice system.
The Broward Sheriff’s Office will continue to do its part through our Homeless Outreach Teams, whose mission is outreach assistance, service provider referrals and reunification. Through the cooperation of the county and the municipal governments, we hope more housing and referral options will be created that BSO and local law enforcement will be able to utilize, ensuring that arrests remain a last resort and occur only in exigent circumstances. These efforts must continue as policymakers craft a more permanent solution for homelessness that addresses affordable housing, mental health and substance abuse treatment.
The new law has achieved one positive outcome—it has placed needed urgency on finding real solutions to homelessness in Broward County. Other cities and counties across the country have successfully met the challenge of homelessness, and I am confident that our county and city leaders will also find solutions. Homelessness in our community did not start overnight, nor will the solutions be quick or easy. Arrest and jail are not affordable options for this community, and they do not serve the needs of homeless individuals. We can do better.
Sheriff Gregory Tony
Service Equals Reward
Certain Broward cities like Coconut Creek, Hallandale Beach, Pembroke Pines, Sunrise, Plantation, Davie, Margate, Miramar, Lauderhill, Lighthouse Point, and Coral Springs maintain their police departments; however, BSO does provide communications and dispatch services to the following cities: Central Broward, Cooper City, Dania Beach, Deerfield Beach, Ft Lauderdale-Hollywood Int’l Airport, Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, Lauderdale Lakes, North Lauderdale, Oakland Park, Parkland, West Park, Pompano Beach, Port Everglades, Tamarac, Weston, and unincorporated West Broward.
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