ENHANCE RECRUITMENT, TRAINING, RETENTION
All Broward Sheriff’s Office employees shall be thoroughly and consistently trained to perform their duties.
Having high quality and community-aware Broward Sheriff's Office law enforcement and fire-rescue employees begins with recruitment. Not only is having a workforce that mirrors the demographics of Broward County important, but recruiting women and men who are psychologically, intellectually and physically qualified is paramount.
BSO's human resources department need to be brought to a higher level of professional excellence. This department is the lynchpin in recruiting, staffing, training, promoting and disciplining employees. BSO's HR programs will be strengthened, and professional staff will be recruited to improve and manage this division.
We will reach out to and respond to requests from area colleges and universities who want more classroom interaction with BSO, as well as attend on-campus recruitment fairs. Students who are interested in learning more about law enforcement will have the opportunity to intern while in college with the department to learn more about the various aspects of its operations. It will also help us to understand what the next generation of law enforcement and fire-rescue people need, and provide an opportunity for the infusion of new ideas.
TRAINING
All Broward Sheriff’s Office employees shall be thoroughly and consistently trained to perform their duties, whether civilian, road patrol, child protective investigative services (CPIS), detention, SWAT, fire-rescue, regional communications, HAZMAT or administration. As a BSO team, we will work together and break through silos that too often hinder fast responses to a crisis and effective communications between BSO units.
We will offer the opportunity for employees to cross train between departments. For example, if detention deputies want to train for law enforcement, or law enforcement deputies want to train for fire-rescue, we will have a process in place to do this. We don't want to hold people back. We want them to be engaged and satisfied with their jobs and services to our community.
In addition, we will strengthen BSO's mentoring program and formalize a process for training and advancing newly promoted employees. For example, a recently promoted detective was provided no guidance or instruction as to how to do the job. They are frustrated and are trying to learn on their own by observing how other detectives work. This is not how a professional agency should be run.
To this end, as sheriff I will require mandatory periodic training of all BSO personnel that follows a detailed curriculum and, for some personnel, more frequent training to ensure that they remain abreast of the latest technology and knowledge in their areas of expertise, as well as are prepared to protect and defend the residents of and visitors to Broward County.
BSO is building a training facility with classrooms and a shooting range. The agency can do better. City-like active shooter facilities will provide a realistic environment to train our SWAT team and BSO deputies. A vehicle training operation will save time and expense instead of having deputies travel to Miami-Dade County or wait for an opening at Broward College.
Setting higher standards, mobilizing community support and budgeting for training will not only help increase the knowledge and capabilities of BSO employees, but will raise their morale and take the agency a step closer toward regaining the national and Florida accreditation which was lost.
