During the last week of the legislative session, an amendment was added to HB 5607 at the last minute which would have reduced the interest rate for DROP participants to 3%. We received call after call asking what we could do about this horrible bill. The PBA contacted Governor Charlie Crist to explain our position. Like the true “CHAMPION” that he is and has always been when it comes to public safety, he vetoed it. Time and time again, Governor Crist or “Chain Gang Charlie” as he was known in the Senate, has stood tall in support of law enforcement issues. On June 9th, we held a meet and greet to thank the governor and show our support for him for all he has done for us. To say I was disappointed in the turnout would be an understatement. There was no shortage of calls when the DROP and our pensions were in trouble, but as always, the Governor did the right thing. Thank you, Governor Crist. You still have time to do the right thing and vote for Charlie Crist for U.S. Senate.

The City of Pompano Beach finally made a decision on contracting with BSO. On June 8th, the City moved to go forward with the contract with BSO by a 4 – 2 vote. The first reading was held on June 22nd and was again a 4 – 2 vote. The second and final reading will be at the first commission meeting in July. Political screenings were held June 9th-11th for all our judicial and legislative races. You can see the results and our endorsements in Vice President Neil Vaughan’s letter. I would like to thank the Executive Board, Dick Brickman, Paul Weiss, Bob Lahiff, Jeff Poole, Lee Martin, Andrew Brooks, Adam Feiner and David Murrell of the Florida PBA for their time and patience on the screening board. Screening for County Commission races are on June 25th, and for the School Board races on June 30th.
On June 16th, PBA Treasurer Debbie Reggio and I attended the final parole hearing for John Gombos in Tallahassee. John Gombos brutally murdered Deputy Joseph Conte on June 11, 1979, in a planned escape (he was offered $15,000 for his help). Gombos shot Deputy Conte seven times with a shotgun to the head and chest. He was sentenced to 80 years, however, that was before legislation was passed requiring 85% of sentences to be served (sponsored by then Senator Charlie Crist); Gombos will walk out of prison a free man in February 2011. On September 14, the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission (the people who giveth and taketh away your law enforcement certificate) will be holding regional probable cause hearings at Broward College main campus in Davie. If you have never attended one of these, you should. I will keep you further advised. Have a great July 4th and remember to keep those who are serving in the United States Armed Forces in your thoughts and prayers. Also pause for a moment to remember those brave souls who have not returned home yet – POW, MIA, KIA. Since 1972, the Broward County PBA has been the “Voice of Law Enforcement.” We are proud to represent each and every one of you who is brave enough, proud enough and strong enough to wear the badge. You are among the best in Broward County and throughout the State of Florida and the nation. I thank each of you and your families for your sacrifices, your hard work and the risks you take.

May was an extremely busy month. First , in our personal lives, there was Mother’s Day. Where would we be without our mothers? Mothers, thank you for all that you did and do to help us succeed in life. Secondly, in our  professional lives, we recognized our fallen offi cers locally and nationally. A total of eight new names from Florida were added to the wall in Washington, D.C. Services are attended, memorials are constructed, family and friends mourn, yet we must remember that they lived and touched our lives. It was their duty to serve, it is our duty to remember. And, of course, there was Memorial Day, which commemorates the men and women who died while in military service to our country. I have always felt that anyone who has served in the United States military is truly a hero. I would like to thank Loranne Ausley for stopping by the Broward PBA to visit with the Executive Board. Loranne is the former State Representative for Leon and Jefferson counties and has always been a strong supporter of PBA issues. She is a democratic candidate for Chief Financial Offi cer of the State of Florida. During the week of May 18th-21st, I attended the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission in Ocala as a Commissioner. Along with our regularly scheduled business meetings and a workshop, our calendars were extremely full. We had 122 probable cause determination cases and 193 disciplinary proceeding cases. If you have never attended a CJSTC hearing you should make an attempt to witness one. I still fi nd it amazing when law enforcement professionals come before the CJSTC with no idea of what these proceedings are and that the outcome could effect their law enforcement certifi cation. Our next full CJSTC meeting will be in Tampa during the week of August 11. However, the CJSTC is scheduled to hold a regional probable cause hearing in Broward at Broward College on September 14th at 10:00 am. On May 22nd, the Broward PBA Executive Board attended the Dade County PBA Law Enforcement Awards Gala recognizing Dade’s fi nest who go above and beyond the call of duty. Special guests Governor Charlie Crist and Lieutenant Governor Jeff Kottkamp were in attendance. Congratulations to all the honorees. In June, the Broward PBA Executive Board will be attending the Florida PBA Board of Directors meeting. We will also be holding our political screenings in June. Since 1972, the Broward County PBA has been the “Voice of Law Enforcement.” We are proud to represent each and every one of you who is brave enough, proud enough and strong enough to wear the badge. You are among the best in Broward County and throughout the State of Florida and the nation. I thank each of you and your families for your sacrifi ces, your hard work and the risks you take.

Dear Members,
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the members who took the time to contact the
leadership in both the House and Senate and urge them to oppose pension benefit reductions. It
clearly made an impact and reminded the legislators just how strong and unified we are as PBA
members. We received positive feedback from legislators who supported our tactics. As I write this letter,
none of the pension bills have been passed. That being said, we are still concerned about SB 2022 and
HB 5701. As a reminder, SB 2022 requires every active member of FRS to contribute a quarter percentage
point into their retirement account and HB 5701 eliminates the Retiree Health Insurance Subsidy for
all retirees by December 31, 2010. As usual, we will continue our fight until the very last minute of the
legislative session.
Our entire membership should be very proud of how we responded to these attacks. If it wasn’t for the
pressure we applied, I can assure you that most of the pension bills would have already passed. Our unity
and support for one another must continue throughout the entire legislative session and beyond. These
attacks on our benefits are just the beginning. We should expect to see similar bills next year and must be
ready to spring into action.
Once again, thank you for your support.
In Solidarity,

If misery does indeed love company, Broward County has lots of reasons to
celebrate. No one is alone in dealing with budget issues. In fact, from sea
to shining sea, governments are talking about many different ways to deal
with unprecedented fiscal crises—including layoffs and pay cuts. We here
in Broward are seeing the effects in all of our contract negotiations. In these
negotiations, our members must take into consideration the financial climate
of the country, state, counties and cities when negotiating.
By the time you receive this issue of The Centurion, the legislative session
will have ended in Tallahassee; we hope it ended with the PBA being successful
in protecting our pensions. The official end date to is April 30th, but I
have seen that final day end early and many times I have seen it last into the
early hours of the morning on May 1st.
During the week of April 5 PBA Secretary Rod Skirvin and I were in Tallahassee
for the Legislative session. On April 7, we appeared before the Senate
Community Affairs Committee for Senate Bill 1902, whose sponsor was
Senator Bennett, the Chairman of that committee. The bill would require
that a retirement system or plan include in its actuarial report; a projection of
the employer’s annual required contributions and an experience study; limits
the benefit payable to a member of a retirement system or plan who has not
attained 10 years of service by July 1, 2010; and revises the calculations used
for upgrading a special risk member’s contributions for past service. The entire
front row of the committee room was taken up by the PBA and firefighters.
We sat waiting for a little over two hours until the bill came up; it was
the last bill called. Senator Bennett said that with all the proposed bills that
change retirement issues, perhaps it would be better if they were discussed
over the summer. With that, he adjourned the meeting. This does not do
anything to the bill, which can still be brought up at any time.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Lisa Aronson, Mayor of Coconut
Creek, for inviting the PBA to attend a meeting of the Economic Issues
Committee, Union Relationship/Negotiations Subcommittee of the Broward
League of Cities. PBA Secretary Rod Skirvin and I attended. While this does
not exactly sound exciting, it is a big deal. Never, in all my years with the
PBA, have we ever been invited to attend anything that involved the League
of Cities. In Tallahassee, whenever the Florida League of Cities sees a bill
sponsored by the PBA, they are immediately against it. So this, in and of
itself, was PBA history.
The life of a law enforcement Officer is not for everyone. We come from
different backgrounds with different experiences and ultimately we all make
the decision to join the finest profession in the world for different reasons. I
thank each and every one of you and your families for your sacrifices, hard
work, and the risks you take everyday.
Also please keep those who are serving in the United States Armed Forces in
your thoughts and prayers. God bless and be safe.

Dear Members,

The Municipal elections will be held on March 9, 2010. As always, I can’t overemphasize the importance of members casting their vote. Our ability to protect you and our benefits is directly related to whether or not we are successful in electing and defeating political candidates. Therefore, I ask each one of you to go to the polls and vote the PBA way. As equally important, I ask that you request your friends and family do the same. Listed below are the candidates that we endorsed for the municipal elections.

Lauderdale-By-The-Sea
Mayor Roseann Minnet – Mayor
Scot Sasser – Commissioner, District 1
Christopher Vincent – Commissioner, District 2

Pembroke Pines
Commissioner Carl Schechter – District 1
Commissioner Angelo Castillo – District 4

Please remember to vote on March 9.

On January 29, the Broward County PBA Executive Board and attorneys attended the Broward County Bar Association robing ceremonies for circuit judges Barbara Anne McCarthy (PBA supported), Michael Allen Usan (PBA supported), Carlos Augusto Rodriguez, David Alan Haimes and County Court Judge Edward Harold Merrigan Jr. (PBA supported).

Also on January 29, we assisted in sponsoring the retirement party for Lindsey Dalton for her 20-plus years of dedicated service to the pension board of the Pompano Beach Police & Firefighter’s retirement system. Congratulations, Lindsey; we wish you all the best.

I would like to thank all the members who helped with our rallies and efforts to inform the public of the situation in the City of Pompano Beach. There was a tremendous turnout of residents and business owners, many of whom took the time to come out and speak in support of BSO staying as the law enforcement agency for Pompano Beach. We will continue our efforts and keep you informed until this is finally resolved.

As a commissioner on the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission (CJSTC), I was recently appointed to the Penalty Guidelines Task Force. During a workshop last October, the Commission recommended to reconvene the Task Force to address the time frame for which an officer can recant a false statement.  The Task Force reconvened on February 18th, and Task Force accepted the PBA’s proposed revision to the rule which will now go before the entire Commission for approval at the next meeting, scheduled for May 19th. The proposal modifies the point at which a disciplinary investigation is adversely affected and makes that point the conclusion of the internal affairs investigation, i.e., when the investigator signs off on the report and makes a decision on whether a disciplinary charge is sustained or not sustained.

And I would be remiss if did not include this in our March Centurion: Erin Go Bragh and Beannachtam na Feile Padraig!

I thank each and every one of you and your families for your sacrifices, hard work, and the risks you take everyday. We are men and women who have chosen a profession to serve with pride and honor. It is a profession like no other. God bless and be safe.

Let’s start by hoping everyone has adjusted to the New Year; January is already gone. I am writing 2010 almost all the time now.

I would, however, like to refer back to 2009 and take this opportunity to recognize and thank BSO Detective Joe Kessling for his hard work and untiring dedication to the fundraiser he did in November for Michael Brewer, the 15-year-old boy who was set on fire by a few bullies. Those who know Joe know once he gets on something, he doesn’t stop. The event, held at Galluppi’s in Pompano, was a huge success. Great work, Joe.

On Saturday, January 9th, Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink stopped by the Broward PBA to discuss current PBA issues and the upcoming legislative session. Ms. Sink is seeking the Democratic nomination for Governor in November’s election.  I would like to thank Ms. Sink for Saturday and for all the times she has made herself available to the Broward PBA to discuss our concerns.

At BSO a letter was written about the PBA claiming victory in getting a 3% raise last year when the cost of living was 7%.  This letter either embellishes the truth or tells outright lies throughout. If I’m not mistaken, and I’m not, all BSO Deputies/Sergeants got 2% First Responder pay in April 2009, a 3% COLA in October 2009, and those with over 20 years got the new 2% longevity pay. I’m not the greatest mathematician, but that seems to add up to every Deputy/Sergeant either getting 5% or 7%. Now that does depend on whether you consider the 2% First Responder pay as a raise, which it is according to the letter in October of 2009 where it was alleged to be forfeited, but according to another letter, it’s not in April of 2009 because the letter does not even mention the Deputies/Sergeants receiving it in 2009, which they did. Three percent was the average wage increase for law enforcement officers in Broward County for 2009. It is evident that the author of the letter believes that 5% or 7% was not a good enough raise and he would not have taken it. As I stated before, the membership voted 1140 to 63 to accept it, and that to me says the membership wanted it. Apparently the author of the letter believes that our membership doesn’t know what’s good for them, only he knows what’s good for them.

I thank each and every one of you and your families for your sacrifices, hard work, and the risks you take every day. We are men and women who have chosen a profession to serve with pride and honor. It is a profession like no other. God bless and be safe.

Dear Members,
The 2010 Florida legislative session begins on March 2 and ends on April 30. As usual, our proposed legislation, if passed, will have a positive impact on our members. Furthermore, we have put ourselves in a great position to succeed by securing outstanding sponsors for our bills. I have listed below the bills (along with their sponsors) that will specifically affect our members in Broward County.
• Legislation extending the period of DROP participation for Law Enforcement, Correctional and Correctional Probation Officers an additional 36 months (Representative Snyder 249 and Senator Baker SB 612)

• Legislation changing the Special Risk upgraded credit from two percent to three percent (Representative Hooper HB 49 and Senator Baker SB 198)

• Support for the Officer Malcolm Thompson Act (Senator Baker SB 162)
• Support for an increase to the FRS Health Insurance Subsidy (There is no bill number at this time)
As the session moves forward we will also support legislation favorable to the PBA membership and oppose legislation harmful to the membership. I will keep you updated as the session progresses. As always, your Executive Board
and members of the Board of Directors will be in Tallahassee to actively lobby on your behalf.

In Solidarity

Neil Vaughan

Vice President

As we enter into 2010, I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and had time to spend with family and friends. Often when we are entering a new year, we look back over the past twelve months and reflect. I found this past year to be an exciting and trying one. Last January when Dick Brickman decided to resign as president of the PBA, by the constitution and by-laws as senior vice president, I became president. I had served on the Executive Board for twenty-plus years in various office, but discovered that there is more to being president then I knew. But I am fortunate that I have a terrific staff already in place and a very supportive Executive Board and Board of Directors. Without that, I would be lost. Of course, I can remember when you could have fit the entire Board of Directors in a small storage room.

In July I was appointed to the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission. In August I attended a Commission hearing. In September I had my FDLE orientation and attended a probable cause hearing. In October was my first full probable cause /commission hearing as a sitting commissioner.

In November, I was elected as PBA president for a new three-year term along with the entire Executive Board. I truly appreciate the confidence and trust that the Board of Directors has shown us. My plans are to complete this new term and then retire. However, no one can predict what can happen in three years, but that is my plan.

I am looking forward to the challenging times ahead and to moving the PBA forward with your help. We are not yet out of these tough economic times ; I’m sure we will still have some struggles. I know my name will be and has been brought up—some good, some bad. I cannot make every one happy. As Abraham Lincoln said: “If I were to try and read, much less answer, all the attacks made on me, this shop might as well be closed for any other business. I do the very best I know how, the very best I can, and mean to keep doing so until the end. If the end brings me out all right, what is said against me won’t amount to anything. If the end brings me out wrong, then ten angels swearing I was right, would make no difference.”

On December 2, 2009, I, along with vice president Neil Vaughan, appeared and testified before the Florida Parole Commission regarding Dawn Sobel.Dawn Sobel, along with John Gombos, planned an attempted escape of prisoner Gary Eaton, who was in custody of the Broward Sheriff’s Office. On July 11, 1979, during the escape attempt, Deputy Joseph Conte was brutally shot and killed. Dawn Sobel received 75 years for second degree murder and aiding an escape. The commission affirmed no change in her parole release date.

I thank each and every one of you and your families for the sacrifices you make everyday. We are men and women who have chosen a profession to serve with pride and honor. It is a profession like no other. God bless and be safe.

Dear Members,

The 2009 regular legislative session convenes on March 3, 2009. Due to the economy, it seems that things won’t be any easier this year than it was last year. That being said, we are certainly optimistic about our ability to move our legislative agenda forward. As usual, the PBA will be in Tallahassee fighting until the very end. Listed below is an outline of our 2009 Legislative Agenda.

Equitable pay increases for state correctional, correctional probation, and law enforcement officers represented by Florida PBA, including but not limited to, pay compression and retention issues.
Legislation extending the period of DROP participation for Law Enforcement, Correctional and Correctional Probation Officers an additional 36 months
Legislation clarifying the types of evidence, such as video surveillance, an officer who is the subject of a complaint can view prior to an investigation
Legislation clarifying the 180 days rule in the Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights
Legislation changing the Special Risk upgraded credit from two percent to three percent
Legislation adding property disclosures to the list of public record exemptions
Support for changes and clarifications to investment guidelines contained in Chapter 185

As you would expect, in reference to legislation proposed by others, the PBA will support legislation favorable to our membership and oppose legislation harmful to our membership.
We will keep you informed of our progress throughout the session.

In Solidarity,