Active-shooter training at the Broward Sheriff’s Office has dramatically improved since the agency’s weak performance in the Parkland school shooting, according to a presentation to the state commission investigating the massacre.
The commission’s investigators interviewed 55 deputies, of whom 53 had attended such training after the shooting. Deputies described the training as more realistic, more intense, focused on what a single deputy must do, offering a greater variety of scenarios and focused on the urgency of stopping the shooter.
“Deputies consistently, emphatically praised the 2018 training as better, more effective and more realistic with a focus on active-shooter response,” according to a report presented to the commission, meeting at the BB&T Center in Sunrise.
These improvements took place under previous Sheriff Scott Israel, who was suspended this year by Gov. Ron DeSantis over his agency’s poor performance.
During the Feb. 14, 2018, shooting, the deputy assigned to the school took cover and failed to confront the killer, a sergeant and captain both failed to take effective command, and various deputies took up positions around the school without taking steps to go after the shooter.
Further improvements are taking place under new Sheriff Gregory Tony. The number of training deputies has been doubled. Deputies can be failed and sent to remedial training. Work has begun on a $30 million training facility next to the agency’s Fort Lauderdale headquarters.
“There have been very significant strides made under Sheriff Tony,” said Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, chairman of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission. “But there were also improvements made under Sheriff Israel when he was there.”
Gualtieri said the pace of improvement appears to have quickened under the new sheriff, noting the doubling of training officers.
“I think it’s all positive, but they’ve still got a ways to go,” he said.
dfleshler@sun-sentinel.com, 954-356-4535