Sept. 4: Make Broward sheriff appointed

Broward County Sheriff Ken Jenne, who is making a plea deal, resigned today. Of
Florida’s 67 counties, Broward is the only one that
still has an elected sheriff. That should change.
Because Broward doesn’t have a strong mayor, some
recent sheriffs have used the post as their own
billboard. In Jenne’s case, his business activities also wrecked
what had been a solid two-decade career in public
service.
Jenne was a Broward County commissioner and a state
senator. After the death of Ron Cochran, Gov. Lawton
Chiles appointed Jenne sheriff in 1998 – a serious
mistake. Jenne had no law enforcement experience.
The elected sheriff is a holdover from the days of
rural communities and hand-shaking politics.
Broward’s gotten too big and too complicated to have a head of
law enforcement who does not have the experience to do
the job properly. Certainly, those with law enforcement experience aren't always immune from criticism; Miami Police Chief John Timoney is currently under fire for accepting a year's worth of free car use from an auto dealer. But most police are less susceptible to politics.
There should be a ballot question allowing the sheriff's post to be appointed, and voters should say yes to such a question.