WASHINGTON — The NAACP on Monday asked the U.S. Department of Justice to open a probe into the Broward County Sheriff’s Office and its management of county jails where 21 people have died while in custody, according to the civil rights agency.
Saying the sheriff’s office had failed the community, the civil rights group called on federal authorities to step in.
“It’s time for our Justice Department to intervene, and ensure that this tragic pattern of negligence is addressed, and any bad actors are held accountable,” the group said in a statement posted online.
Marsha Ellison, president of the Broward NAACP chapter, said in the statement: “The alarming number of deaths and distressing incidents within Broward County Jails demands swift action. We call upon the U.S. Department of Justice to conduct an immediate and thorough investigation into the Sheriff’s Office’s training and oversight, ensuring accountability for the lives lost and the well-being of those still in custody.”