Posted on 02/26/2018 3:50:10 AM PST by MilesVeritatis
It is impossible to imagine circumstances under which Broward County sheriff Scott Israel could attempt to perform his duties with the confidence of the public. He should resign immediately, and if, as he promises, he refuses to go quietly, then he should be shown the door by the people he professes to serve.
The numbers tell the story: 23 sheriff’s calls involving the Parkland shooter; 18 sheriff’s calls involving the shooter’s behavior directly (some of the others were principally about his brother); four sheriff’s deputies, armed and trained, cowering outside the high school while the killer within carried out his massacre; 17 dead.
In spite of having the school’s armed “resource officer” — an on-site deputy — and three other sheriff’s deputies outside the school during the massacre, no one lifted a finger to stop the shooting until police from Coral Springs arrived and entered the building, at which point the killer escaped, walking off the campus with the rest of the stunned students. He then walked down the street to a fast-food restaurant and ordered himself a drink, and wandered around the neighborhood for a while (past an elementary school) before being spotted by a Coral Springs police officer, to whom he surrendered without incident. He eventually made his way into the Broward County sheriff’s custody — when he was delivered there in handcuffs.
Coral Springs city manager Mike Goodrum subsequently had a confrontation with Sheriff Israel he described as “heated.” We can imagine.
The failure of the Broward County sheriff’s department in this matter has been comprehensive — before and during the incident, obviously, and after it, too, with the continued sanctimonious blame-dodging of the sheriff. The sheriff’s department (and other law-enforcement agencies from Palm Beach County to the FBI) had every reason to believe not only that the killer was a danger to others but that he was specifically planning a school massacre. People who knew him called in with that specific worry, and the killer boasted online of his plan to become a school shooter. Those boasts were forwarded to the FBI, which did precisely nothing in response. The killer himself called police to tell them he had been having trouble after the death of his mother.
Pointing out these failures isn’t attacking law enforcement, as some supporters of gun control allege, but demanding minimal competence on a matter of the utmost public import. Such is the ardor of the most committed gun controllers that they are willing to look past every failure by authorities that doesn’t accord with their agenda (one of the Stoneman Douglas kids the other day said it was understandable that the SRO didn’t engage the shooter because no one wants to confront an AR-15 — of course, the officer had no idea in real time that the gun was an AR-15, which regardless isn’t particularly powerful for a rifle).
As for the sheriff, he is a pretty typical politician, hiring friends and political allies, treating his law-enforcement position as a nakedly political fief. His arrogance is astounding: When asked about his penchant for hiring his supporters and looking after his own interests first, the sheriff replied, “Lions don’t care about the opinions of sheep.” But the people of Broward County didn’t hire Scott Israel to be a lion; they hired him to be a sheepdog, a task at which he has failed so completely as to make regaining the public trust impossible. Indeed, it is not clear he ever deserved that trust to begin with. If he has any respect for his oath, his badge, or his community, he should step aside. If his sense of duty does not prevail, he should be forced out.
It is official. The Reno sheriffs department had been relocated to Broward County several years ago. And we just thought that was a movie?
Exactly. The police response was a repeat of what happened at Columbine, and that was 18 yrs ago. I agree, it’s sickening.
The Broward Sheriff’s office, provides firearms self defense training against active shooters, for Mosques, but not schools.
Don’t retire, you are needed
Thank goodness coward doesn’t rhyme with Brevard. Our county gets mixed up with Broward from time to time. But our sheriff, Wayne Ivey, is the polar opposite of the incompetent Israel.
And, like the disgraced SRO, Israel will resign with full pension and benefits.
A cop kills a giant of a thug before the thug kills him and Barry’s DOJ brings the full fury of the federal government down on Furguson. You have the Broward Cowards operating like this and our AG snoozes on. When you have the worst AG in history don’t expect any real investigation into this. Sessions, Israel and Comey, peas in pod.
“I’m only kidding about Shiff.”
I know. ;)
“They probably have a template, and all they need to do is plug in the name of the school.”
Now, THAT makes sense. The brats were groomed, rehearsed, and just waiting to pull the scripts out and jump in front of cameras. No; that’s not right. The media with cameras were part of the template and knew exactly what kids to interview.
Seems Israel has come under scrutiny before. He’s not just an incompetent asshole, he’s a corrupt, incompetent asshole. I’m thinking the quote, “Lions don’t care about the opinions of sheep” is going to show up in some campaign ads in Broward County.
https://reason.com/blog/2018/02/23/broward-county-sheriff-scott-israel-accu
If he was elected, why aren’t the people of Broward demanding a recall?
Were the deputies ordered not to engage the shooter? This is Broward County. DNC’s ace in the hole when needed. Never put anything past people who wait with bated breath for the next tragedy(HUGE is better) to take place. Broward County is Democrat from the top to bottom, throughout their government. Once the shooting started, what communications were taking place between the Officer on site and HQ, and the 3 that joined him with HQ. Who was at HQ giving orders? Did anyone call HQ with orders? Good thing agent Rosenstein is on the job to find all this out... This is Broward County!!!
Did you witness, have seen as you put it, criminal actions by your Blue brothers? And if so did you report it and how did that turn out? Or was your smaller family oriented Dept unique in that it had no criminal actions by Blue during your 26 years on the force?
Not an attack, FRiend. You sound like one of the truly good guys in law enforcement. But I am curious how the perception is the Blue wall protects its own. Even when the actions are vomit inducing.
Bttt.
5.56mm
The Reno sheriff’s department played it for laughs. These guys are not only incompetent, they are in the most deadly fashion of which they are capable, wreaking harm upon the community.
Wasn’t this whole fiasco in Broward County compared to the Paul Wellstone memorial of a few years back, where a memorial service was turned into a whooping political rally, and spelled considerable damage to the Democrat party in the end?
That is what has happened in Parkland, the memorial was turned into a political rally.
It does not augur well for the Democrats.
I get what you are saying...I can honestly say that I have not seen ANY criminal actions. We have had people fired for lying about something they did on duty that violated policy. Honesty what has gotten people fired can be narrowed down to booze, women and money issues... off duty stuff. I have seen actions that pushed the linits of the 4th amendment...but those are addressed quickly... I am a training officer...The exceptions to search warrants and warrantless arrests, plus the 4th amendment are what I hammer every day...
Like I said, I have been Bkessed
“Browards Cowards”.....the perfect name for the sheriffs department’s softball team. Obviously, they don’t have the stones to play hardball.
Thank you for your honest and non defensive response.
We need some protection for our defenseless children in gun free schools. I simply can’t imagine shopping for a bullet proof backpack as many parents are doing today. I don’t have all the answers. But taking away firearms from law abiding citizens is not the answer. And relying on team Blue to arrive in time just isn’t working either.
Enjoy retirement. You will have arrived when you forget what day of the week it is ... because every day is a day off and it doesn’t matter. Enjoy it because you’ve earned it!
This guy is imbalanced. We can only hope the people throw this guy out on his ars then sue the crap out of him.
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