Protect BSO Employees’ Health and Safety
Covid-19’s effect on BSO is disastrous, costing two employees’ lives and sending hundreds of people into weeks of isolation and to hospitals.
More than 200 BSO employees were exposed and more than 100 tested positive with Covid-19 because they were not properly equipped with personal protective equipment (PPE) in a timely manner before the pandemic swept through Broward County.
Despite claims by the current sheriff, 98 percent of PPE supplies were ordered after March 1, which was four weeks after he stated that BSO employees were able to secure supplies from BSO Fire-Rescue. Further, BSO detention operations are not adhering to Center for Disease Control guidelines to disinfect the jail facilities, keep newly arrested detainees and long-term detainees separated, and have released active Covid-19 prisoners from jail, potentially exposing South Florida citizens to the virus.
Covid-19’s effect on BSO is disastrous, costing two employees’ lives and sending hundreds of people into weeks of isolation and to hospitals. This was entirely preventable had procedures been put in place by the current and past BSO sheriffs to effectively and immediately respond to the pandemic. We have had years of warning, but the sheriffs have failed to think creatively to prepare for it.
This is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Training, continuing education, better equipment, improved processes, and thoughtful consideration of and preparation for future natural and man-made disasters are vital to protecting the health and safety of BSO employees and the public.
As Broward County’s sheriff, I will lead qualified and experienced teams of people who will, over the next four years, work to plan for, prepare and ensure the safety of BSO employees and the public during times of crisis and during day-to-day operations.