BSO to host prescription drug disposal, document shredding event
The
Broward Sheriff's Office
is set to host a free community event Saturday aimed at combating prescription drug abuse and identity theft, authorities announced.
Dubbed Operation Medicine Cabinet and Shred-A-Thon, the event will run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the BSO Oakland Park District, located at 5399 North Dixie Highway.
Sheriff Dr. Gregory Tony and his team are urging residents to participate by bringing unused or expired medications and sensitive documents for safe disposal.
The initiative is part of the sheriff's ongoing efforts to address two pressing issues in Broward County.
Residents who turn in prescription medications will receive a $5 gift card while supplies last, though needles and sharp objects will not be accepted.
For document shredding, participants may bring up to two boxes per vehicle, with each box limited to 16 inches long, 12 inches wide, and 12 inches high.
BSO officials say the event reflects their commitment to public safety by reducing the risk of drug misuse and protecting personal information from falling into the wrong hands.
For more information, the sheriff's office directs the public to call 954-831-8902 or visit sheriff.org.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
UK tourists warned after dad gets deadly disease at 'dirty' 4-star Turkey hotel
A father of two has shared a harrowing tale of battling a severe illness he believes he caught at a 'filthy' four-star hotel during a sun-soaked getaway to Turkey. Richard Moore, 55, started experiencing fever and chest discomfort following his return from a five-day break with his partner Julie, aged 50. The professional cook was so stricken that he ended up in A&E and was subsequently put into an induced coma, with his family warned he might not pull through. Read more: Search and see crimes that happen where you live Medics confirmed he had the potentially fatal Legionnaires' disease, necessitating a five-day hospital stint, antibiotic therapy, and intravenous fluids. Blyth resident Richard relayed: "This holiday was meant to be a short break before I started a new job as an executive chef. "Instead, it cost me my dream job, my health and very nearly my life." He recounted his memory loss due to his illness, saying he has scant recollection of his time in hospital, but vividly remembers his initial fear and confusion upon admission. Richard added: "I'm lucky to be alive but it's so upsetting to think my family were told I might not live." Hoping to raise awareness, he continued: "I never realised Legionnaires' disease was so serious and I want to tell my story to make other people aware of the symptoms and the dangers." Richard, who still feels the effects of his ordeal, warned: "I wouldn't want to think that other people were going off on a holiday unaware of what they could be walking into." Highlighting the urgency of addressing any hotel health concerns, he said: "If there are issues with the hotel then that needs looking at urgently." Despite his difficult recovery, Richard reflected: "I feel fortunate to have pulled through. However, I do worry that someone else might not be as lucky as I was." Richard forked out £2,000 for a stay at the four-star Champion Holiday Village in Kemer but was far from impressed after his arrival on August 18 last year when he described the resort as "dirty, old and dated". Upon entering his accommodation, Richard instantly felt the room's dampness and reported a "grim fusty smell" pervading the space. Regarding his stay, he mentioned: "I can't specifically pinpoint to one thing but the water temperature fluctuated a lot in the shower." He observed that "The bathroom and hotel generally looked run down and the sofa in hotel room beneath the air con felt damp throughout the holiday which made me think it was leaking." Shortly following his return to Blighty, Richard started feeling under the weather with flu-like symptoms. His condition worsened by August 30 as he began experiencing chest pains, breathing difficulties, and fever, consequently leading to hospitalisation. His month-long hospital stint has prevented Richard from kicking off his career as an executive chef, a position he was eager to begin. Currently, Richard is tormented by continued fatigue, weakness, and mobility problems associated with Legionnaires' disease. He has taken steps to engage travel illness specialists at Irwin Mitchell to delve into the origins of his affliction with Legionnaires' disease. Jennifer Hodgson, representing him legally, pointed out: "Richard's first-hand account of his experience at the hotel and contracting his illness is deeply disturbing." She also highlighted the severe nature of the condition, saying: "Legionnaires' disease is an incredibly serious condition, and it can take several days from coming into contact with Legionella bacteria before symptoms of the illness start to appear. "As Richard has since discovered, the effects of the disease can be long-term. "Nothing can makeup for the impact the illness has had and continues to have on Richard, but we're determined to provide him with the answers and specialist support he deserves. "Public buildings, such as hotels and offices, can have complex water systems, so it's vital that all precautions are taken to prevent the bacteria that causes Legionnaires' disease developing. "As part of our work and to assist with our investigations, we would be keen to hear from anyone else who may also have been affected by illness whilst staying at the Champion Holiday Village Hotel, Turkey."
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Patient records go digital to 'co-ordinate care'
All patient records at a hospital are to go digital as part of a major step "in modernising patient care". The new Electronic Patient Record (EPR) will be switched on at Northampton General Hospital (NGH) from Saturday 28 June. It has been developed by the software system Nervecentre, and is designed to bring all patient notes and information into "one single, secure digital format". William Monaghan, from NGH, described it as a "pivotal moment" and said he hoped it would mean "safer and more co-ordinated care". A hospital spokesperson said the electronic system would "enable clinical teams to access real-time information about a patient's care, helping them make quicker, safer and better-informed decisions". Patient records are currently stored in a combination of paper files and digital systems, but will be replaced by "a central, streamlined platform that enhances efficiency and reduces duplication". Mr Monaghan, group chief digital information officer, said: "This is a pivotal moment for NGH and our patients. "The new EPR system puts essential information at our clinical teams' fingertips, helping them deliver safer, more co-ordinated care. "While there may be a few teething problems as we go live, this investment in digital infrastructure will transform how we work, giving our teams more time to focus on what matters most: caring for patients." The hospital said staff would be using secure, hospital-owned mobile devices, like tablets and iPhones, at patients' bedsides. It means staff will be able to view the latest medical information instantly, spend less time on administration, avoid asking patients to repeat their history many times - and improve co-ordination between departments and services. All patient information will be kept secure, it confirmed. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Hospital's A&E told to make urgent improvements Hospital staff invited to resign to reduce workforce Hospital ward is 'safe' despite concern over falls Northampton General Hospital
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Broward Sheriff report sheds new light on inmate fight that led to deputies' arrests
Three Broward Sheriff's detention deputies are facing felony charges after prosecutors say they dragged an inmate off camera, then punched, kicked and Tased her in 2022. But records released by the Sheriff's Office Friday offer a different perspective. The inmate, Samantha Caputo, 38, was outraged about her arrest on a DUI charge in the early hours of that October morning, according to an Sheriff's Office internal affairs report, repeatedly maintaining that she was wrongfully jailed despite being sober. She was combative throughout her time in BSO custody, culminating in her encounter with Sgt. Zakiyyah Polk and deputies Cleopatra Johnnie and Denia Walker. It was Caputo who first tried to punch Polk, the report states, and a BSO use of force expert who analyzed footage of the fight concluded that the deputies' response was justified. The three deputies were arrested last week on one count of second-degree aggravated battery. The jail altercation has since escalated into a wider conflict between the Sheriff's Office and the Broward State Attorney's Office. On Friday, Sheriff Gregory Tony accused prosecutors of 'corruption' and bias in their handling of Caputo's case. He reinstated the deputies and said their arrests were a 'miscarriage of justice.' State Attorney Harold Pryor issued a statement denying Tony's allegations, saying that 'attempts to verbally bully my office or sway public opinion prior to trial will not deter us from seeking justice and striving to do the right thing.' Three Broward detention deputies face aggravated battery charge in 2022 inmate booking Broward sheriff reinstates deputies charged in jail fight, says 'public corruption' led to arrests The series of events began with a traffic stop along Southwest 10th Street in Deerfield Beach just after 2:30 a.m. on Oct. 4, 2022. Caputo's Ford Escape had suddenly stopped in the middle of the road, almost causing a crash, according to Deputy Jose Guzman. He pulled her over and asked why she had stopped, according to the internal affairs report. Caputo said that her shoe had fallen off, so she slammed the brakes. She also told him that she was sick. 'Can you give me a warning?' Caputo asked him at one point, according to the report. 'I literally just paid my insurance.' Guzman noted that Caputo had 'glossy red eyes, slurred speech, disorientation, and lethargy,' according to the report. When he asked if she had been drinking, she said she did not drink but had taken prescribed medication. Guzman then had Caputo perform field sobriety tests, where he noted that she lost balance multiple times and did not follow instructions. Then he handcuffed her. Upset, Caputo repeatedly maintained that she was sober, had passed the sobriety tests, and that Guzman had no right to arrest her. 'It doesn't bother you that it's your job to serve and protect, and you are arresting people that are completely sober?' she asked Guzman at the BAT facility as she waited to take a breathalyzer. Caputo turned the same criticism onto the woman operating the breathalyzer, who repeatedly said 'okay' in response to her comments. 'No, it's not okay,' Caputo said at one point. 'I don't have money for this, and I am being wrongfully accused.' She frequently cursed at both Guzman and the woman. 'It was beyond a task dealing with the subject during processing at the BAT Facility,' the woman later wrote in a report. Caputo had not been drinking, it turned out. She blew a 0.00, but was taken to Broward Main Jail anyway after submitting her urine for testing. The urine later tested positive for amphetamines, corresponding with Caputo's prescribed medication for 'dextroamp – amphetamin,' the generic name for Adderall. Three Broward detention deputies face aggravated battery charge in 2022 inmate booking Broward sheriff reinstates deputies charged in jail fight, says 'public corruption' led to arrests A little after 5 a.m. that morning, Caputo entered Broward Main Jail and was taken to the strip search cell where the fight took place. Polk had already been alerted about Caputo, who 'was likely to be a potential problem,' according to the report, and informed the other deputies. Walker, Johnnie and Polk entered the cell, giving Caputo clothing to change into. Caputo refused to change into a jail-issued bra, Polk told the internal affairs investigator. She then threw her bra at Polk, who caught it, then pushed Caputo back. At that point, Polk said that Caputo 'threw a punch at her.' The three deputies then rushed forwards and Polk pinned Caputo to the wall, at which point Caputo scratched her and bit her thumb, fracturing her bones, Polk said, according to the report, which also includes pictures of her injuries. Johnnie sprayed Caputo with pepper spray while Polk appeared to kick and punch Caputo in the footage. The fight continued until Polk Tased Caputo. The Broward Sheriff's Office internal affairs report vastly differs from Caputo's account in the State Attorney's Office warrant. She said in a sworn statement that she 'never returned any form of physical aggression, and did not strike or bite' the deputies, according to the warrant, and that she was 'in fear for her life.' BSO Sergeant Jeffrey Liotta, a use-of-force expert, reviewed the case and the footage and determined that the deputies' actions were justified, according to the report. His interpretation based on the footage aligned with the deputies' statements. Caputo's level of resistance was 'aggressive resistance,' he said, which authorizes deputies to use tactics like punching and kicking in response. Once Caputo bit Polk, he said, the threat of 'great bodily harm' made her level of resistance rise to potential 'deadly force.' After the fight, Caputo continued to be uncooperative, according to the report, including with the EMT who checked her injuries. She did not sign an Urgent Medical Care Record due to being 'uncooperative, aggressive, patient non-compliant,' the EMT wrote. Caputo spent four days in the hospital following her arrest and had to take antibiotics for a skin infection where the Taser prongs had hit her, according to the warrant. Polk also went to the hospital for her thumb, where doctors diagnosed her with a fracture and wrote that she was exposed to 'blood borne pathogens' due to the bite, the report states. Caputo was charged with battery on a law enforcement officer. Prosecutors later reviewed the footage and dropped the battery charge against Caputo in April of 2024, according to Pryor's statement. They wrote in a memo that 'the Deputy claimed that the Defendant bit her right thumb, but the video does not capture the action.' By that point, prosecutors had also dropped the DUI charge. A toxicologist had told them that Caputo's demeanor was not that of someone who had taken stimulants and that she would not be able to testify about the test results, according to a memo. The decision perplexed Guzman, who told the internal affairs investigator that, out of 650 DUI arrests, Caputo's was the only one that the State Attorney's Office had not filed. Guzman recalled talking to Assistant State Attorney Julio Gonzalez, who he said told him the case was dropped because '1) Guzman was not a Drug Recognition Expert at the time of Caputo's arrest, and 2) Caputo was on her period,' the report states. '… Guzman is concerned that the SAO dropped this case and has been left questioning their reasons.' Caputo's attorney, Phil Johnston, did not return texts or voicemails Friday or Saturday. Over the course of their careers, all three deputies regularly received positive evaluations about their conduct with inmates, according to personnel files released Friday. None of the deputies had other documented use of force incidents in their files. Polk received one negative evaluation in 2018, which said she 'needs to work on her interpersonal skills' and 'shows the unwillingness to communicate or be forthwith with supervisors.' She filed a rebuttal to the review, saying it was 'unsubstantiated and baseless' and that the supervisor who wrote it barely interacted with her. Otherwise, Polk frequently received glowing feedback before and after her promotion to sergeant in 2021. As a mental health sergeant in the North Broward Bureau, she trained other deputies in handling 'inmates in crisis,' according to her file. Polk 'has embraced her role and has created a culture where staff and inmates expect leadership, effective communication, and quick resolution to incidents and concerns,' her supervisor wrote in 2024. Johnnie received similarly positive feedback. In a 2024 evaluation, her supervisor wrote that she 'demonstrates strong de-escalation skills, effectively managing tense situations with inmates.' Walker was also frequently praised over her handling of inmates. In 2024, her supervisor wrote that she has 'good interpersonal communication skills that enables her to de-escalate situations that result in a positive outcome and avoid a use of force.' Her file mentions a closed 2017 internal affairs investigation, but no report or further information was included in her file. All three deputies are set to be arraigned in Broward County Court on June 24.
