Gregory Tony secures second full term as Broward County Sheriff
Key Points(5)
- Broward County voters have decided to keep Gregory Tony as their sheriff for another four years, reaffirming his leadership in the county's top law enforcement role after a close race with challenger Charles Edward Whatley.
- Tony, who was appointed sheriff by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in 2019 and subsequently won election in 2020, campaigned on a platform emphasizing enhanced training programs for first responders.
- He highlighted collaboration with the Public Safety Commission, established after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, as a testament to his focus on public safety reforms.
- His opponent, Whatley, is a Marine Corps veteran with nearly 30 years in law enforcement.
- Overseeing the largest sheriff’s office in Florida, Tony leads 5,800 employees, including over 2,700 certified deputies and 700-plus fire rescue professionals.
Broward County voters have decided to keep Gregory Tony as their sheriff for another four years, reaffirming his leadership in the county's top law enforcement role after a close race with challenger Charles Edward Whatley.
Tony, who was appointed sheriff by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in 2019 and subsequently won election in 2020, campaigned on a platform emphasizing enhanced training programs for first responders. He highlighted collaboration with the Public Safety Commission, established after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, as a testament to his focus on public safety reforms.
His opponent, Whatley, is a Marine Corps veteran with nearly 30 years in law enforcement.
Overseeing the largest sheriff’s office in Florida, Tony leads 5,800 employees, including over 2,700 certified deputies and 700-plus fire rescue professionals. The Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) operates on an annual budget approaching $1 billion and provides law enforcement services across 14 cities and unincorporated areas, representing more than a third of the county.
Tony’s appointment followed the dismissal of former sheriff Scott Israel after criticism for his handling of the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. The Florida Senate supported Israel’s removal, paving the way for Tony’s leadership.
Despite securing reelection, Tony’s tenure has been marred by controversy. In 2022, a Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) investigation revealed he had misrepresented information on police applications, failing to disclose a fatal self-defense shooting he was involved in at age 14. Although the FDLE concluded the statute of limitations prevented criminal charges, the report called attention to these omissions.
Further issues emerged when it was discovered that Tony had falsely answered questions on police and driver’s license applications regarding past license suspensions. His license had been suspended in Pennsylvania in 1996 for unpaid traffic fines, yet he denied any such occurrence when applying for a Florida license in 2019, shortly after becoming sheriff.
Earlier this year, the FDLE recommended a six-month suspension of Tony’s law enforcement certification for providing false information on driver’s license applications. However, an administrative judge recommended a lighter penalty, suggesting a written reprimand, mandatory ethics training, and 18 months of probation.
Throughout these challenges, Sheriff Gregory Tony has stayed focused on his achievements as sheriff. He established the BSO’s first-ever Research, Development, and Training Center and spearheaded new training initiatives for mass shooting responses and racial equity and implicit bias programs. Additionally, Tony has enforced a culture of accountability within the department, cooperating with investigations into officer misconduct, which led to multiple fraud-related arrests.
Despite ongoing scrutiny, voters have chosen to extend Tony’s leadership, signaling confidence in his ability to continue leading Florida’s largest sheriff’s office through his next term.
