As a retired law-enforcement officer, it pains me to write this, but I have never felt more conviction. For more than three decades, the city of Deerfield Beach has entrusted its police and fire services to the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO). That relationship was built on trust, professionalism and shared commitment to public safety. But under Sheriff Gregory Tony’s leadership, that foundation has cracked, leaving our city and others grappling with dishonesty, intimidation and blatant disregard for contractual obligations.

Time and again, Tony has shown that he is less interested in serving communities than in consolidating his own power. He has taken a once-respected law enforcement agency and turned it into a political machine fueled by confrontation and manipulation.

Joe Cummings is a retired law enforcement offier and a resident of Deerfield Beach. (courtesy, Joe Cummings)

Take my beloved city, Deerfield Beach, where I serve on the city’s Community Appearance Board and have been a supporter of our city’s leadership. Despite a contract that clearly limits annual cost increases to five percent, BSO continues to demand more — pressuring the city to break its agreement years before it expires in 2026. The implication is simple — pay up or risk losing your deputies. When city leaders refuse to cave, Tony resorts to public smear campaigns, misleading statements and even retaliation.

The Sun Sentinel itself has reported how Tony stripped retirement benefits from Deerfield Beach City Manager Rodney Brimlow, a decorated retired BSO captain. Why? Brimlow wouldn’t violate the city’s own contract, and he had the audacity to put citizens’ interest before Tony’s. In what world is punishing those who question authority an acceptable practice in law-enforcement leadership? When did Tony anoint himself king?

This epidemic of strong-arm tactics and personal vendettas is not confined to Deerfield Beach. Pompano Beach, another city patrolled by BSO, has already chosen to pursue its own feasibility study before committing to another long-term deal and recently only signed a 12-month extension while they do the numbers. Other municipalities like Cooper City are also watching closely and have still yet to sign any contract with BSO. The ripple effects of Tony’s leadership are spreading — and not in a way that builds confidence in the sheriff’s office.

Confrontations, shouting matches and carefully staged Facebook posts do not change what is really happening here. BSO is refusing to honor its own contract with Deerfield Beach. BSO is demanding more money from taxpayers than it has a right to, and Tony is undermining the very relationships his agency depends on to serve Broward County’s residents.

Deerfield Beach’s leaders have chosen to remain measured, even under repeated attacks. They’ve spent their energy studying the numbers, weighing the options, and keeping their focus where it belongs — on the future of this wonderful community. That is the kind of leadership our residents deserve — the kind of leadership that speaks volumes for me and many of my neighbors.

This epidemic of dishonesty and intimidation has spread far enough. It’s time Broward County residents demand accountability. Our cities, our budgets and our safety are too important to be sacrificed at the altar of one man’s ego.

I believe it’s time to begin forging a new path forward — one without BSO. I only hope that when the city of Deerfield Beach sends Sheriff Tony packing, the upstanding BSO deputies and firefighters understand that the blame falls squarely on the shoulders of their own leader.

Joe Cummings is a resident of Deerfield Beach.

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/09/23/deerfield-beach-needs-a-new-direction-without-bso-opinion/