Broward County Sheriff: Now That DeSantis Is Governor, I’ll Be Removed

Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel, who oversaw the office during the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, says that now that GOP Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has been sworn in, Israel will lose his job.

According to the Miami New Times, Israel, 61, informed his top commanders on Monday that he will be removed from office. Israel told his staff that he would be ousted, but Israel told them he would appeal the decision. As The Miami Herald reported, Jeff Bell, the Broward Sheriff office’s union chief who is a member of DeSantis transition team, stated, “We know that he is telling everyone at the public safety building that he is going to be gone.” Bell added that removing Israel “would remove an incompetent sheriff. But if you’re looking to fix the agency and put it on the right track, it does nothing to do that.” He opined that in order to fix the problems in Broward County, people hired by Israel need to be replaced, saying, “What I will say is we want someone who will remove politics out of police work and commit to protecting the citizens and our children in the schools.”