Lamberti Sworn In Against All Odds
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Former Attorney General Bob Butterworth had it right today:
“There is no such thing as a Republican sheriff. There is no such thing as a Democratic sheriff. You’re (just) the sheriff.
No other line got more applause at Sheriff Al Lamberti’s swearing in today.
Lamberti proves the point. He’s a consummate professional. He’s the first Broward sheriff elected in over 90 years who rose through the ranks.
He’s not a politician.
He’s just a cop.
He deserves the job for another four years.
He almost didn’t make it. I would have bet $10,000 against Lamberti being elected sheriff for one reason he’s Republican.
A Republican running in a Democratic county. In a Democratic year 2008.
He won against all odds.
Score one for the good guys.
Lamberti took over from a politician Ken Jenne. Former state senator. Former county commissioner.
Jenne. Never a cop.
Jenne. Ended up in prison for misdeeds.
Jenne. A politician.
Lamberti was appointed by Gov. Charlie Crist to clean up the mess.
The corruption.
The doctored crime stats.
The poor morale.
Lamberti did an admirable job.
Still, he had an uphill campaign fight because of his party label.
“I stand here today as living proof that nothing is impossible, Lamberti told the audience today at the former Sunrise Musical Theater, now the Faith Center.
Lamberti
Partisan politics is what made it tough.
Good cops should be elected.regardless of party label.
Lamberti won this time, but what about the next election. Will a Democratic hack beat a qualified Republican just because of politics?
There is no partisan way to run the sheriff’s department.
There is no partisan way to fight crime. Or put out a fire. Or save a heart attack victim. Or find a lost kid.
In this era of political change, one more change is needed in Broward: The sheriff’s department should be non-partisan.
January 6th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
Buddy, you have GOT to be kidding writing such transparent BS. You, more than anyone else knows to be untrue. The Broward Sheriff is the ultimate power fiefdom, with thousands of staff and millions to spend as they “tackle crime” throughout Broward. And true, they make some arrests. They run a few jails. But mainly they exist to fund whatever pet businesses loyal to whatever the Sheriff wants them to be loyal to. It has been that way for decades in Broward and remains that way today. You’ve seen it personally — hell, you’ve written about it. Everybody knows. So what’s all this BS you’re peddling? Is this satire?
FROM BUDDY: Your comments have some truth in them.
As far as the patronage, you still have to pass a rigorous test to become a cop or a fire fighter. Sure, there are thousands of other jobs. Do you really think Lamberti is going to fire folks and fill the jobs with political hacks?
As far as purchases go, much of what is purchased is by low bid. He does have millions and millions to spend, but lets hope he does it honestly.
The job has been the ultimate power fiefdom, in your words. But just because it was a political plum for years, doesn’t mean that Lamberti can’t change BSO.
I think a veteran cop is more likely to steer a course away from politics than a politician.
Of course, none of this has anything to do with whether the job should be partisan or non-partisan.