Broward County’s top law enforcement officer says he wants to see changes in a controversial school district program that gives kids a break for minor offenses.
“At this time the Promise program suffers deficiencies that can be and must be modified to gain my full support,” Sheriff Gregory Tony said Monday in a statement.
Promise has been the target of critics for the past year, since 17 staff and students were shot to death at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. Some family members of murdered children claim it allows potentially dangerous students to go unnoticed by police.
Tony said he hopes to work with Broward Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie, the School Board and criminal justice officials “in developing a program that meets the safety needs of our entire community.”
“Broward County is a community requiring restorative justice and diversionary programs to help reduce the disproportionate arrests of minority juveniles when involved in non-violent criminal offenses,” he said.
The sheriff’s announcement represented the second major blow to the program. The Broward Chiefs of Police Association, which represents 18 local law enforcement agencies, announced Feb. 26 that it was pulling its support.
A letter from Lauderhill Police Chief Constance Stanley, president of the chiefs association, said the group “does not support the School Board’s Promise Program, based on the manner in which the program is being implemented.”
Law enforcement officials say they support the concept of a diversionary program that enables students to avoid jail time, but some have complained the Promise program is too lenient, weakens the role of law enforcement and largely duplicates a civil citation program that law enforcement uses for children who commit misdemeanors off campus.
The program allows students to avoid jail by attending an alternative school where they are taught certain life skills. The school district boasted a 90 percent success rate in avoiding repeat offenders, but the South Sun Sentinel reported in May that those numbers were exaggerated and included only students who committed the exact same offense in the exact same year. Students were given a clean slate every year.
The newspaper reported that the program was part of a culture of tolerance in Broward schools that allowed children to engage in an endless loop of violations and second chances, creating a system in which kids who commit the same offense for the 10th time may be treated like it’s the first.
Former Sheriff Scott Israel was a strong supporter of the program, but Gov. Ron DeSantis, in one of his first moves in office, suspended Israel in January due to concerns over his handling of the Parkland murders on Feb. 14, 2018. DeSantis appointed Tony as Israel’s replacement.
A commission investigating Stoneman Douglas found that the program had no direct connection to the tragedy but that the program was flawed and should be improved.
It’s unclear whether the school district can operate a diversionary program without the support of law enforcement. But the school district has announced changes that it hopes will satisfy any concerns. Those include limiting students’ participation in the program to three times in their lifetimes, informing the State Attorney’s Office if students fail to comply with the program and reporting incidents to a website that can be accessed by law enforcement.
School District Spokeswoman Kathy Koch said the “significant changes” to Promise were agreed to at a workshop Feb. 26 . She said district officials will soon meet with the chiefs association. She did not respond to further questions.
Stanley, from the chiefs association, said: “We … will be reviewing/discussing the proposed changes to determine if we all agree with them or if further modifications should be made. At this time, I cannot give you a definitive.”
Stanley said local agencies can still decide if they want to individually support Promise. Five city police departments are currently signed on — Lauderhill, Wilton Manors, Fort Lauderdale, Hallandale Beach and Miramar. Elected officials in at least two of those cities, Wilton Manors and Lauderhill, gave their support despite the objections of their police chiefs.
Another key partner who may help decide the future of the program is Broward State Attorney Mike Satz.
Tony said he had discussed the program with Satz and the chiefs association.
“The purpose of the Promise program — for non-violent misdemeanors — is certainly something we believe is important,” Satz said through a spokeswoman. “It is our understanding that Superintendent Runcie is making some very appropriate changes to the program to provide more accountability and we are certainly looking for those deficiencies in the program to be addressed.”
stravis@sun-sentinel.com, 561-243-6637 or Twitter @smtravis.