BSO Supports the Urban League

Sheriff Al Lamberti presented a check for $50,000 to the Urban League of Broward County on Wednesday, March 4. The Law Enforcement Trust Fund (LETF) monies benefit local non-profit organizations. This donation is part of Sheriff Lamberti’s ongoing commitment to community based organizations.

Photographed from left to right are Doria Camaraza, Urban League of Broward County Board member; Dr. Germaine Smith-Baugh, President and CEO of Broward County.

FEEL THE HEAT!

Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue crews took part in shipboard fire training on deck of the training vessel “Gray Manatee” in Port Everglades on Thursday. Firefighters tested their skills in realistic scenarios including engine room fires, ship-board fuel fires and simulated helicopter fires, as pictured in the photo. Shipboard fires are one of the most difficult and dangerous types of fires to fight. “It’s like fighting a fire in a high-rise oven,” said Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue spokesman Mike Jachles who added, “This is as close as you can get to the real thing, while maintaining safety in a controlled environment.” More than a dozen Broward Sheriff Firefighters took the hands-on class.

Photo by Mike Jachles/Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue

BSO PROVIDES PALLETS OF PAPER TO PUPILS

BSO School Resource Deputy Tammy Measel delivers packages of donated copy paper to a third-grade student at Meadowbrook Elementary Tuesday morning. Meadowbrook was one of 16 Broward County schools that received donated copy paper this week from a local paper company. The Broward Sheriff’s Office Community Justice Program arranged the donation, and BSO school resource deputies distributed 20 boxes of copy paper to each school. The benevolent paper company wants to remain anonymous. Each school received about 100,000 sheets of paper.

Aggressive Driving Crackdown

BSO Deputy Tony Morales (left) backs up Coconut Creek Police Officer Ryan Marken while conducting a traffic stop on I-75 northbound Friday during the Blitz on Aggressive Driving (“BAD”)enforcement. More than a dozen participating agencies use conventional and unconventional unmarked cars for the crackdown. Officer Marken drives a Mustang GT, while Morales drives an unmarked Dodge Charger. In all, 189 tickets were issued in the eight hour period.

Motor Deputy Honored in Tamarac

Photo caption: Deputy Eric Bienkievitz (center) is presented with a special tee-shirt from (l. to r.) Deputy Director Leonard Burgess, Corporal Yolanda Copeland, Detective D. Joseph and District Chief Marc Duguay.

Saturday, January 24, 2009 is a day Deputy Eric Bienkievitz will never forget. The seven-year BSO veteran was providing a law enforcement motor escort for a multi-agency Make-A-Wish benefit ride when a careless driver failed to come to a stop. He was struck and knocked onto a swale along I-95. Thankfully, Deputy Bienkievitz’s injuries were not life threatening, but he sustained deep lacerations to his hands and suffered a fractured ankle.

The benefit ride, which was coordinated by Corporal Yolanda Copeland from Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitiation, raised more than $6,000 to send terminally-ill child and his family to Disney World in Orlando. In an effort to show their appreciation, Miami-Dade Deputy Director Leonard Burgess, Corporal Copeland and Detective D. Joseph visited Deputy Bienkievitz during roll coll at the Tamarac District Office. There they thanked him for his service and presented him with a signed tee-shirt from all particpants from the event. “I worked on motors too,” said Deputy Director Burgess. “There is no doubt angels were there with you that day, to protect you and make sure you made it home safe to your family.” As Deputy Bienkievitz accepted his gift, he was met with a round of applause from his BSO colleagues. His road to recovery will take some time, but with the support of his family and friends, Deputy Bienkievitz will be back on his motorcycle in no time.

BSO Helps Hispanics

Sheriff Lamberti, Director Michael Somberg, and Commander Michael Calderin present an LETF check to the board of directors of Hispanic Unity of Florida at their quarterly meeting which was held at Apollo Middle School. The $50,000.00 LETF grant will be used to fund a Teens for Teens Prevention/Intervention program coordinated by Hispanic Unity of Florida. The program is based at Apollo Middle School, Hollywood, Florida.

The HUF board of directors also presented the Sheriff Lamberti and the men and women of BSO with an award for our ongoing support of community programs run by the Hispanic Unity of Florida.

Dunkin Dollars

Due to the hard work and investigative efforts led by the Broward Sheriff’s Office and participating law enforcement agencies in the recent homicide and string of armed robberies, Dunkin Brands, Inc. decided to donate funds to crime prevention programs in South Florida to combat ongoing problems. Broward Crime Stoppers received $10,000.00 earmarked for the BSO GREAT (Gang Resistance Education and Training) program coordinated by YIED under Captain Nesteruk. An additional $1,000.00 was donated to Broward Crime Stoppers to sponsor a table at their annual ball. And $5,000.00 was donated to the South Florida Crime Commission to disperse amongst law enforcement agencies in Palm Beach and Broward counties as needed.

TECHNICAL RESCUE IN RANCHES

Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue Capt. Ray Hoecherl (center) points to the area where a 36-year-old man was struck by a concrete pipe in an excavation area on Griffin Road in Southwest Ranches. The Regional Technical Rescue Team, which specializes in difficult rescues, responded to extricate the victim from about eight feet below the surface of the roadway. The victim, who was able to talk to firefighters, said he was initially pinned by the pipe, but the workers were able to get the 42-inch diameter pipe off him before firefighters arrived. Firefighters were able to get the victim out of the hole in approximately 40 minutes. He was then flown by BSO Air Rescue helicopter to Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood for treatment. OSHA responded to the scene and is conducting the investigation.

Photo by Mike Jachles/Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue

DEPUTIES, TROOPERS ENFORCE “MOVE OVER” LAW

Broward Sheriff’s Office Deputy Tony Morales is interviewed by a TV news crew from Spanish language channel Telemundo 51 on the Sawgrass Expressway on February 6th. Operating a Laser to determine motorists’ speeds is BSO Sgt. Allen Adkins, in the background. The BSO Regional Traffic Enforcement Unit and Florida Highway Patrol Troop L- Davie and Troop K-Broward Turnpike launched the joint enforcement effort in March, 2008.

Nearly two dozen deputies and troopers participated in the speed and “Move Over Law” effort in western Broward on the Sawgrass Expressway and along Interstate 75 in Weston. Statewide, as of February 1, the fines for traffic infractions have increased. In Broward County, a Move Over Law violation now carries a fine of $150.00, up from $122.50. Speeding fines vary based on the number of miles over the limit, but now run $265.00 for exceeding the limit by 20 miles.

Photo by Mike Jachles/Broward Sheriff’s Office

BSO Receives Portion of $2.6 Million Insurance Settlement

Sheriff Al Lamberti accepted a check for more than $128,000 Thursday from Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum.

The money was BSO’s portion of a 2008 settlement with Aon, a national insurance broker that allegedly improperly collected fees or commissions with more than 45 public entities in Florida.

Those city and county governments, school boards and  economic development councils will all receive a portion of the $2.6 million settlement.

Sheriff Lamberti thanked Attorney General McCollum for being a “watchdog” over the taxpayers’ money. He said he would put the money to good use in the sheriff’s office.

“These aren’t just numbers on a check,” Sheriff Lamberti said. “This is six, brand new fully-equipped patrol cars. It’s 50 AEDs (automatic external defibrillators). That’s how I look at it.”