Broward Deputies Told Not To Enforce ‘Anti-Riot’ Bill: Report

BROWARD COUNTY, FL — Broward County sheriff’s deputies have been told to not enforce Florida’s new “anti-riot” bill unless necessary, reports said.

Even in these necessary cases, an internal memo obtained by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel instructs deputies to get permission from someone higher in command before enforcing the new bill.

The controversial bill, HB1, was signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis April 19 and went into effect immediately. A key piece of the measure redefines rioting as "a violent public disturbance involving an assembly of three or more (people) acting with a common intent to assist each other in violent and disorderly conduct, resulting in injury to another person, damage to property or imminent danger of injury to another person or damage to property."

While the governor has framed the bill as a means to control violent demonstrations, social and racial justice activists say the law makes it easier for police to crack down on protesters and quell their First Amendment rights.

In the memo emailed to about 30 district captains, Col. David R. Holmes, executive director of law enforcement for the sheriff’s office, said the agency doesn’t need “any overzealous deputies utilizing the new law to conduct enforcement that could violate people’s civil liberties.”

He also expressed concern that enforcing HB1 would negatively impact the agency’s work to improve its connection with the community, reports said.