Florida Agenda

SOUTHWEST RANCHES— A Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) community service aide has filed suit in federal court, claiming violations of his civil rights. Tony Vincent returned to work on October 31 after being suspended with pay since June 21.

The events leading up to the suit began on February 15 when Vincent, who is gay, was stopped on his motor scooter by BSO deputies in Southwest Ranches. Vincent’s suit claims that the deputies wrongfully ticketed him for speeding, and made an illegal secret recording using a cell phone without his consent during the traffic stop, which is a violation of Florida law. The speeding ticket was dismissed in April.

In June, Vincent was suspended with pay for releasing the tape recording before an internal investigation had been completed. Although he was allowed to return to work, he was given a five-day unpaid suspension. The suit, filed last week, names as defendants Broward Sheriff Al Lamberti, BSO Commander Wallace Haywood, and Deputies Roberto Aspuru and Jose Saud.

According to Vincent’s suit, in the recording Haywood expresses how the deputies should proceed with the Internal Affairs paperwork, and advises them that he will reach out to the traffic judge for Vincent’s speeding ticket. Vincent’s suit claims that he was targeted because of his sexual orientation, a claim that Broward Sheriff Lamberti vehemently denies.

“We have a very structured disciplinary procedure,” Lamberti told the Agenda in an exclusive interview. “The decision to discipline in the Vincent case was made by the Professional Standards Committee (PSC), a board comprised of 12 people. Eight of them are BSO employees, and the other four are outside citizens who function as an outside review.”

Lamberti says that the PSC recommended the disciplinary actions against Vincent, and that he abided by their call. “Since I became Sheriff, I have yet to overturn a decision by that committee,” added Lamberti, whose career with BSO began as a detention deputy in 1977, and who was appointed to the office in 2007, after former Sheriff Ken Jenne was indicted on federal corruption charges.

“I place great value in the opinion of that board, since it represents not just the perspective of law enforcement professionals, but also that out a group of outside, objective citizens,” Lamberti told the Agenda.

WILTON MANORS – The Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) will hold a double-decked event on Saturday, at The Pride Center at Equality Park (2040 N Dixie Hwy., Wilton Manors). “Operation Medicine Cabinet” is an effort to encourage citizens to bring unused, unwanted, and expired medications for safe disposal, as a means of helping prevent prescription drug abuse. BSO will also conduct a “Shred- A-Thon” for Broward residents to safely dispose of documents, check stubs, receipts, credit card offers, and other material that could contain personal data, and put individuals at risk to identity thieves.

Both events are free to the public, and will take place September 22, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, visit sheriff.org.

FORT LAUDERDALE – Broward Sheriff ’s Office (BSO) Captain Rick Wierzbicki was in the nation’s capital this week, testifying Tuesday morning before a special Congressional committee hearing called to address violence against America’s homeless.

The hearing’s co-sponsor, the National Coalition for the Homeless, was asked to provide panelists to enter testimony at the hearing in Washington, D.C. Capt. Wierzbicki, who leads the BSO Anti-Bias and Hate Crimes Task Force, has earned a reputation as an expert on homeless violence, and has previously testified before the U.S. Senate. He also testified before the Florida Legislature prior to passage of House Bill 11 in 2010. That legislation enhanced the state’s Hate Crimes statute, and afforded more protection to crime victims who are attacked on the basis of their homelessness.

The anti-violence efforts of Wierzbicki and BSO, and of State Representative Ari Porth on behalf of the homeless are documented in the video “The Power to Pass,” which is posted at sheriff.org.

OAKLAND PARK – Deputies from Broward Sheriff ’s Office (BSO) Oakland Park division are inviting the community to take part in fundraising events to benefit the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.

On Monday, April 16, deputies will trade in their handcuffs and badges for serving aprons and drink trays at La Bamba Restaurant in Oakland Park (4245 N Federal Hwy.) for a Tip-a-Cop fundraiser to benefit the Relay for Life.

Deputies will collect tips from restaurant guests between 5 and 10 p.m.

FORT LAUDERDALE – The Anti- Defamation League (ADL) of Florida honored Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) Capt. Rick Wierzbicki this week for his direction of the agency’s Hates Crimes/Anti- Bias Task Force, and for “fostering better community relations through authentic and timely actions.”

In a ceremony and presentation held during the Florida ADL’s Regional Board Meeting on Tuesday at the Westin Hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Wierzbicki received the prestigious Anti-Defamation League Doris and Murray Felton Excellence in Law Enforcement Award for his “extraordinary efforts in combating hate crimes and bullying in Broward County.” Katherine Fernandez Rundle, the State Attorney of Miami-Dade County and Chairperson of the Selection Committee, said that Wierzbicki’s and the Task Force he commands “exemplifies an ongoing commitment to make your community a better place to live and work.”

Wierzbicki, who was nominated for the commendation by Broward County Sheriff Al Lamberti, has also been the recipient of the Dolphin Democrats of Broward County’s Community Alliance Award, and has been cited by both the Anti-Defamation League and the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) for his contributions to promoting the film Bullied.

The documentary—based upon the true story of a gay teen’s court battle to uphold the rights and safety of LGBT students–has done much to raise awareness of the scourge of anti-gay bullying in schools. It has been shown several times in Broward County, most recently in Coral Springs: at that showing, a private citizen donated $25,000 to promote the film and anti-bullying initiatives.

Of their decision to select Wierzbicki, a former Chief of Police of Wilton Manors, the committee wrote: “We concur with Sheriff Al Lamberti, who nominated you for this honor, on your unwavering dedication and involvement with various initiatives.”

POMPANO BEACH – Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) investigators are hoping that someone has a keen eye for detail, a quality they may need in order to solve the murder of Samuel Del Brocco, who was murdered on Sept. 11, 2010 in his Pompano Beach vacation home.

A part-time resident of Broward County, Del Brocco grew up locally, but founded a successful business in New York City and Alexandria, Virginia. It was in the latter city that the 60-year-old former musician headquartered his company—PCI Communications— of which he was president and CEO.

Del Brocco, who was gay, was described by friends and neighbors as very “social” and “sociable,” and it may have been those outgoing traits which led to his tragic end.

“We think he made friends with someone he shouldn’t have, and then took that person home, with the results being most unfortunate,” said BSO Detective Tim Duggan. “That person became his attacker.”

Duggan, the lead investigator in the case, said that Del Brocco was last seen having dinner at Kelly’s Landing seafood restaurant in Fort Lauderdale. Later that evening,

Del Brocco was murdered at his 1770 Bay Drive condo. Investigators still do not know if Del Brocco met a friend while he was out or picked up a stranger and invited the person home with him.

BSO deputies, who were responding to an out-of-state “welfare call” by a concerned friend, found Del Brocco’s badly beaten remains. Witnesses from at least one local gay bar remember seeing him that night, but so far, no one has come forward to tell detectives that Del Brocco was with anyone else.

“When that light goes off in someone’s head, then we’ll know we are that much closer to breaking this case,” said Duggan. Del Brocco had recently purchased a new home in Mount Vernon, Virginia, and friends say that he was looking forward to beginning its renovation.

Detective Duggan says that a $25,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for Sam Del Brocco’s brutal murder. Anyone with such information should call 954-493-TIPS (8-4-7-7), or go online to report a tip at:

browardcrimestoppers.org

By Cliff Dunn

Photo: Broward County Sheriff Al Lamberti is shown here with Captain Rick Wierzbicki who leads BSO’s Hate Crimes Task Force.

Sheriff Al Lamberti says that the communities he polices are diverse, vibrant, and thriving, but he remains deeply concerned and troubled that Broward County ranks first among Florida counties for reported hate crimes.

“Simply put: we don’t want to be number one in terms of these stats,” Lamberti emphasized. The sheriff, entering his fourth year in office, says that the numbers tell several stories.

The county’s number one ranking, Lamberti offers, is in some ways the result of hate crimes victims coming forward to report their attacks for the first time, inundating law enforcement’s reporting apparatus and giving a top-heavy statistic for crimes that went unreported or underreported all along.

“By establishing a Hate Crimes/Anti-Bias Task Force, we’re actively encouraging citizens who have been victims to report on these crimes,” Lamberti notes.

“That puts the focus on the numbers for BSO [Broward Sheriff’s Office]. The crimes themselves are deplorable,” the sheriff cautions, “but we want potential victims to report their attacks, or harassment.”

“At the same time,” he adds, “we want the state’s other police agencies to follow our lead and establish their own hate crimes task forces. When that happens, you will see a spike in their numbers, too. But it’s important to make victims know they have official assistance available to them, no matter whether they’re gay, or homeless, or had a ethnically-motivated hate crime perpetrated upon them.”

The state of Florida defines a hate crime as an act committed or attempted by one person or group against another –or that person’s property –that in any way constitutes an expression of hatred toward the victim based on his or her personal characteristics.

A report issued last month by Florida’s attorney general records 149 hate crimes being committed statewide for the year 2010, the last complete year for which statistics are available. Those numbers are slightly higher than the ones from 2009, but a vast improvement over 1992’s record of 395 hate crimes. The attorney general’s report details the number as well as the types of hate crimes committed throughout the Sunshine State.

Of hate crimes committed, nearly half were racially motivated–over 46 percent–while more than one-in-five, or 21.5 percent, resulted from the victim’s sexual orientation. Religious beliefs account for 19.5 percent of hate crimes statewide, followed by ethnically-motivated crimes at 12.7 percent.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said the hate crimes stats were reported by law enforcement agencies across Florida. This data was then provided to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Both Broward and Miami-Dade counties saw the number of hate crimes reported drop in 2010. Miami-Dade experienced a drop in its 2009 numbers, from 17 to 11. Broward County again led the state in overall reported hate crimes with 19 cases, three less than in 2009. Of the 32 reported hate crimes in Florida that were motivated by sexual orientation, eight of them–25 percent–occurred in Broward.

Said Lamberti: “Broward is the most diverse county in Florida. Clearly, though, that statistic of number one is proof that we’re not all getting along with each other.”

Lamberti says he is encouraged by the response to his department’s efforts of law enforcement agencies and lawmakers outside of Florida, including members of Congress.

“When Maryland was looking to increase the classes protected under that state’s hate crimes laws, they looked closely at our efforts and internal practices in investigating hate crimes against the homeless and others, and used these as a model for retooling their laws,” he recalls. “It was gratifying, but at the same time, you say to yourself, ‘they are using our case to improve their own legal protections for victims, why isn’t the same being done here in our own state?’”

Lamberti and his office’s efforts paid off when Florida lawmakers got the message. “There was a sense,” Lamberti remembers, “that there had already been efforts to tackle this before. I said to the people who were helping us, ‘I haven’t tried before,’ and we used the clout of this office and the support of law enforcement to spearhead what was a legislative effort. It was gratifying.”

The sheriff acknowledges the work ahead. He admits that many crimes go unreported. But he believes that he has put a system in place that can adapt to the needs of victims and challenging conditions. One reason for his optimism is his choice of officers to command the Hate Crimes and Anti-Bias Task Force. BSO Capt. Rick Wierzbicki was a 24-year veteran of the Wilton Manors Police Department, retiring as Chief of Police in August 2005. It proved to be a short retirement.

“Capt. Wierzbicki’s experience leading a department in a city that has a diverse population comingling with one another makes him a natural candidate to bring disparate individuals and ideas together,” notes lamberti. “It requires him to be a leader, and also a diplomat and a consensus-builder when it comes to the numerous stakeholders who have a voice in combating these crimes,” he adds.

For Wierzbicki, the proof is in the pudding. “The reality is that hate crimes are being reported and investigated,” he said. “This entire agency wants to know if hate crimes are being committed.”

Broward’s standing as highest-ranked county for hate crimes is also drawing attention to the stats and reporting of Florida’s other 66 counties and their jurisdictions. Although Miami-Dade County reported 11 hate crimes for 2010, its largest municipality, Miami–the state’s second largest city–reported no hate crimes for the third consecutive year.

Broward Sheriff Lamberti refuses to throw any other police agency under the bus, but he is realistic about his and other departments’ reporting. “I want the rest of the state–and the nation, for that matter–to follow Broward’s lead and set up a system and the manpower for honest reporting and investigating,” said Lamberti.

“We look at a crime, or a possible crime, and don’t in any way mitigate or downplay the facts. If a crime looks like a hate crime, then that’s how it is investigated.

We don’t investigate an attack against two gay men, for example, as a robbery. We investigate it with the presumption that it is a crime of the most serious magnitude. The facts of the case may bear out that it is, in fact, a robbery, but we will investigate all elements of the case to ascertain both what it is, and what it isn’t.”

“As far as some places reporting ‘zero’ hate crimes, I find that a little hard to believe. I can’t comment on what transpires anyplace else but this office, but we don’t sweep stats under the rug,” Lamberti insisted.

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – The Broward Sheriff’s Office has made a $10,000 donation to a start teen suicide prevention hotline run by Broward House. The money was donated from the Department’s Law Enforcement Trust Funds to support at-risk youth. Money from the fund comes from seized property that was used in criminal acts and the grants are controlled by governing bodies for the police agencies that acquire the property.

The gift to Broward House must still be approved by the Broward County Commission. Broward Sheriff Al Lamberti does not think that County Commissioners’ approval will be a problem.

Broward House, a 23-year old organization that serves more than 6,000 people who are living with HIV/AIDS, said they hope to have the help line operating by mid-January.

Fort Lauderdale, FL – Broward County Sheriff Al Lamberti will discuss the office’s Anti-Bullying Initiative in conjunction with screening Bullied, a film chronicling the powerful story of Jamie Nabozny from Ashland, Wisconsin. He  stood up to his anti-gay tormentors with a federal law suit. The suit led to a landmark decision that held school officials accountable for not stopping anit-gay bullying.

Captain Rick Wierzbicki, of the Sheriff’s Office Hate Crimes and Anti-Bias Task Force; and Andrew L.

Rosenkranz, Florida Regional Director of the Anti-Defamation League, will also be in attendance.

Monday, September 26, 6:30 p.m. at Cinema Paradiso, 503 SE 6th Street Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with a catered cocktail reception (free food/cash bar) prior to the film at the Courtyard of Cinema Paradiso 5:30 p.m.