Gelin said 107 deputies were not needed to protect a safe city like Tamarac. Gelin felt Tamarac needed just 30 or 40 police officers.

July 2020

Crime is the number one issue on voters’ minds heading into the November elections. Case in point, crime was the very first question at last week’s Tamarac mayoral debate at the Kings Point community. Elberg Mike Gelin debated popular incumbent Mayor Michelle Gomez in front of hundreds of energized senior citizens.

With sixty percent of Broward cities safer than Tamarac, a debate moderator asked the candidates how they would address crime rates and street violence in the city. Mayor Gomez praised the efforts of the men and women of Broward Sheriffs Office (BSO) who protect the residents of Tamarac. She noted the most recent statistics show a decrease in crime. Gomez said she would continue to work with BSO to make Tamarac even safer.

Gelin waved around a copy of February 2022 police survey which showed eighty-one members of BSO worked for the city. Gelin stated the Tamarac officers “don’t have a great reputation.” He said police officers would rather work in Plantation or Boca Raton than Tamarac.

In her rebuttal, Mayor Gomez stated the Tamarac officers were “not treated properly” and should be respected.

In September 2019, Gelin made national headlines when he embarrassed a BSO deputy during an awards ceremony. Gelin recognized Deputy Joshua Gallardo as the man who arrested him in during a 2015 incident.

“Joshua Gallardo, can you come down for a second? It is good to see you again,” Gelin said. “You probably don’t remember me, but you are the police officer who falsely arrested me four years ago. You lied on the police report. I believe you are a rogue police officer. You’re a bad police officer, and you don’t deserve to be here.”

In July 2020, REDBROWARD revealed Gelin attended a meeting of local radicals supporting a “Defund The Police” movement in Broward.

Gelin and other Broward elected official spoke during the “Reimagining Public Safety” webinar was hosted by Broward Dream Defenders, Black Lives Matter Broward and the Broward Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). These same groups organized protests in downtown Fort Lauderdale and all across Broward. REDBROWARD previously exposed how these groups urged followers to read books by Mao and Stalin. In another webinar, the host revealed the groups’ goals are the abolition of police departments, the abolition of prisons and the elimination of the Broward State Attorney’s Office.

Elberg Mike Gelin explained his long-term plans to defund police which included ending a contract with the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO). Gelin said 107 deputies were not needed to protect a safe city like Tamarac. Gelin felt Tamarac needed just 30 or 40 police officers.

Gelin said drunk drivers should be ticketed and sent home in an Uber instead of being arrested. Gelin claimed the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school could have been avoided if they defunded the police.

Unsurprisingly, Vice Mayor Gelin did not discuss his views at the Kings Point debate.

Does Gelberg really think firing 50 BSO deputies will make Tamarac safer?

Does it sound like Elberg Mike Gelin really cares about crime in Tamarac?