Emergency meeting held after BSO refuses to give access to Broward mayor, commissioners

Broward County's mayor and commission held an emergency meeting on Tuesday and approved a move allowing them to look into possibly taking legal action against the Broward Sheriff's Office.

This comes one day after Broward Mayor Mark Bogen and other county officials were denied access to BSO headquarters. They arrived there demanding to get a look at a gym inside the BSO training facility.

So, what does the vote on Tuesday actually mean? It will now allow the Broward County Commission the option to go to court to gain entry.

However, commissioners are hopeful that over the next day or two, they will be able to negotiate their way inside. If not, they'll take this battle to court.

"We have a sheriff who refuses to disclose things, fights our requests, locks his doors, hides in his office making videos, doesn't show up at our meetings," Bogen said at the Tuesday morning emergency meeting.

Broward commissioners are taking this budget battle with Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony to the next level. The commission unanimously passed the measure that allows it to take legal action against BSO to gain access to the training center gym.

Bogen claims it's filled with a lot of extras with the bill footed by taxpayers.

Commissioners are also making public records requests to find out how Tony spent his budget.

"He doesn't have to say what he spent it on," Bogen said. "People need to know, is he spending it on law enforcement? Is he spending it on, I'll use this as an example, on massage tables? Is he spending it on his workout gym? Do you know he has full-time trainers at the gym?"

Bogen and two commissioners were denied access when they tried to get inside on Monday, and Tony claims that the commission is under criminal investigation. That comes from subpoenas issued for documents.

"No civilian under criminal investigation will be permitted to walk through these doors, whether they are focused on using a bathroom or if they want to go into a gym," Tony said.

At the meeting Tuesday, Bogen asked about that claim.

"I asked you yesterday and I ask you today publicly – are you aware of any of us or any of the staff here under criminal investigation?" Bogen asked.

"Mayor, I'm not aware of any criminal investigation that any of the commissioners or any of our staff is under," someone responded during the meeting.

Tony on Tuesday afternoon posted a video to social media responding to the vote and said it could have statewide implications.

"But they're trying to impose their will on the constitutional protections that exist for sheriffs' offices, and now they're going to dive in with a lawsuit, which is going to enact every single sheriff in this state to defend its position," Tony said. "I've already talk to the Florida Sheriff's Association and their legal council, and we're all standing by to witness what activities that our county take."

Tony also posed the question why it took officials two years to make this request.