In the fourth installment of the Oral History of Amendment 10, we discuss the proceeding years since passage of Amendment 10 and the work of some in Miami-Dade County to create a bifurcated system in which there is both a sheriff and a countywide police department. We go in detail covering the steps sheriffs took to combat those efforts to include litigation against Miami-Dade County. Sheriffs ultimately prevailed by passing a state law during the 2023 legislative session that made it clear the sheriff in all counties, including Miami-Dade, had exclusive policing power in the unincorporated areas of the county.  We had a lot to unpack in this episode, but in the end the new sheriff of Miami-Dade County will be an elected and independent sheriff, just like the other 66 sheriffs in the great state of Florida.

In the third installment of the Oral History of Amendment 10, we discuss the lawsuits filed by several counties in the summer of 2018 in their attempt to toss Amendment 10 from the November ballot. We cover the litigation that went all the way up to the Florida Supreme Court and how the constitutional officers were ultimately victorious. Then with less than 50 days before the election, sheriffs got to work to educate the public about Amendment 10 by branding it the “Protection Amendment." We learn about the dedicated effort that united all sheriffs into garnering enough support for Amendment 10 to pass with more than 60% support. 

In the second installment of the Oral History of Amendment 10, we discuss Florida’s 20-year quirk – the Constitution Revision Commission. What is this commission and how is it able to directly put amendments on to the ballot for voters to approve or reject? 

We learn about the sheriffs’ efforts to work with this unique commission and how one commissioner, Martin County Clerk of Court Carolyn Timmann, would become instrumental in getting a constitutional amendment on the 2018 ballot to protect the elected Office of Sheriff and get Floridians one step closer to resurrecting the long-lost office of sheriff in Miami-Dade County. 

In the first installment of the Oral History of Amendment 10, we discuss the past efforts that abolished the elected Office of Sheriff in several counties, and how, over many decades, sheriffs fought to regain their positions.

Then, in 2017, a new state senator from Miami-Dade County introduced a bill to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot, ensuring that all voters could elect their sheriff. 

We revisit our audio archives to explore this significant bill, learning how it progressed through the legislative process through featured compelling testimony from sheriffs and others in committee, yet ultimately failed to pass by the session's end.

In this episode, FSA speaks with Luke Niforatos, the executive vice president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) about the dangers of statewide recreational marijuana legalization. Luke is widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading drug policy experts and he covers what he has learned from other states. Luke highlights the perils of haphazard efforts to legalize marijuana and what Floridians need to learn before deciding about marijuana legalization this November.

In this episode, FSA speaks with the new president of the Florida Sheriffs Association Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell. We discuss his unique path into the field of law enforcement as well as his work as the chairman of the Statewide Commission on Mental Health and Substance Abuse. Sheriff Prummell also shares the programs and practices he is most proud of during his time as sheriff, and he discusses his goals for leading the FSA for the next year. 

In this episode, FSA speaks with Santa Barbara County (California) Sheriff Bill Brown, who is currently the president of the Major County Sheriffs of America. Sheriff Brown took time out during a busy Annual Conference in Palm Beach to cover all things Major County Sheriffs of America. With more than 2,700 square miles and a population of more than 450,000, being the sheriff of Santa Barbara County, is no easy task. Sheriff Brown is currently in his fifth term, and we discuss his role as president as well as unique ways he leads one of California’s largest sheriff’s offices.

In this episode, FSA speaks with Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw during the Major County Sheriffs of America’s Annual Conference. Sheriff Bradshaw was first elected in 2004 and has served five terms as sheriff of one of Florida's most populous counties. We discuss the dynamics of Palm Beach County and what his deputies do each day to keep the coastline safe and secure. Sheriff Bradshaw has also led the way in domestic security and assisting sheriffs in responding to natural disasters as the Zone 7 Chair of FSA’s Task Force. We cover all that and much more!

In this episode, FSA speaks with the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) Executive Director Chuck Wexler at their Annual Meeting in Orlando. Chuck led a lively town hall with sheriffs and police chiefs, and we discuss the various topics that were covered; from staffing and the use of civilian personnel to reducing violent crime in our communities.  We learn about the history of PERF and how they play an important role for independent public safety research. We end by discussing innovative ways sheriffs and police chiefs are using Integrating Communications, Assessment & Tactics (ICAT) training to defuse a range of critical incidents safely and successfully. ICAT was developed by PERF with input from hundreds of law enforcement professionals nationwide.

In this episode, FSA speaks with Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez from the Police Executive Research Forum’s (PERF) Annual Meeting in Orlando. During the meeting, Sheriff Gonzalez was awarded the PERF Leadership Award for his outstanding public safety work in the Houston area. First elected sheriff in 2016, Sheriff Gonzalez runs the largest sheriff’s office in Texas. He directs more than 5,000 employees to protect the 4.5 million residents living within the 1,700 square miles of Harris County. Early in his first term, Sheriff Gonzalez had to lead the citizens of his community after Hurricane Harvey, one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history. He discusses how those difficult times helped him and his team build a foundation of trust with those they serve. We also learn about the innovative programs the Harris County Sheriff’s Office operates from diversion programs and establishing a sobering center to addressing the complex issue of homelessness.