The Sheriff of Broward County has accused Deerfield Beach city leadership of spreading “lies and deceit” following a community SWAT conditioning run that drew overwhelming support from residents. The Sheriff, who led the exercise in Deerfield Beach a few days ago, said the initiative was designed to boost morale and reaffirm the presence of the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) in the district.
The run, which featured members of BSO’s SWAT Team—including deputies and firefighters—saw dozens of residents line the streets to cheer the team on. Many also pledged their continued support for BSO’s role in the city. Within an hour of the event, the Sheriff revealed that his office received an invitation from the Deerfield Beach running club to participate in future activities, further strengthening ties with the community.
However, the initiative soon became the subject of controversy. According to the Sheriff, Deerfield Beach’s newly appointed Public Safety Director—who has been in the job for just seven months after relocating from another state—contacted the district captain to raise concerns. The director claimed, citing the city manager, that residents had complained about traffic obstruction caused by the run.
The Sheriff swiftly disputed the claim, stating that he personally reviewed every call for service made in Deerfield Beach during the two-mile exercise. “The results were clear: not one call or complaint was received,” he said, dismissing the allegation as unfounded and politically motivated.
“This was nothing more than another petty attempt to obstruct BSO from unifying our community and speaking truth to the public,” the Sheriff remarked, suggesting that the city leadership’s actions were intended to sow division rather than support community-building efforts.
He further criticized what he described as an overreach of authority, stressing that neither city managers nor elected officials have the power to dictate where the Sheriff of Broward County can conduct community engagement activities. “City Managers and elected officials don’t get to tell a Sheriff where he can or cannot run in his own county,” he declared.
As tensions continue to rise between BSO and city leadership, the Sheriff said he remains focused on maintaining strong relationships with residents. “The audacity speaks for itself,” he concluded, underscoring his commitment to ensuring that public safety initiatives are not derailed by what he called “petty obstruction” from political actors.
