Tag Archives: black lives matter

Tamarac Vice Mayor Elberg Mike Gelin Bashes Police Officers When Asked About Crime At Kings Point Debate, Fails To Tell Seniors He Only Wants Thirty Deputies Patrolling City

4 Replies
Elberg Mike Gelin Wants To Defund The Police. Will That Make Tamarac Safer?

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?

A “Not Gelin” Sign Pops Up In Tamarac

Democrat Candidate Lauren Linville Denies Hiding Her Work History At The Geo Group From Coconut Creek Voters

Leave a reply

Like any politician, Lauren Linville is not shy when it comes to sharing her resume. Linville, a Democrat candidate for Coconut Creek Commission, regularly mentions her work with a local women’s club, her own crisis management company and even her service in the United States Coast Guard. Despite having a degree in criminal justice from Youngstown State University, Linville never mentions working for one of the largest private prison companies in the world.

Based in Boca Raton, The GEO Group “provides complementary, turnkey solutions for numerous government partners worldwide across a spectrum of diversified correctional and community reentry services.” GEO claims to operate 123 facilities all over the world with 23,000 employees. Closer to home, The GEO Group operates the “Broward Transitional Center” in Deerfield Beach for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE).

The GEO Group faced protests from progressive groups opposed to their treatment of teenaged immigrants at the Broward facility. In 2019, protesters were arrested at the company’s headquarters in Boca Raton. The Sun-Sentinel reported, “[P]rotesters did not align with one particular organization but were known affiliates of groups such as Food Not Bombs Fort Lauderdale, Black Lives Matter Alliance Broward, Florida Immigrant Coalition and Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee.”

Last week, REDBROWARD revealed Lauren Linville made disparaging remarks about the Black Lives Matter movement (BLM).

“I’m so sick of all these ‘movements’…Black Lives Matter, ISIS, Radical Islam, LGBT Hate groups…. They’ve done nothing but disappoint, hate, kill and create pain for others,” Linville said.

After a backlash from prominent Democrats, including local BLM leader Jasmine Rogers, Linville played the victim in a tepid apology posted on Facebook.

Linville blamed military weight restrictions, postpartum depression and terrorist attacks for her comments equating BLM with ISIS and radical Islam.

Is Lauren Linville trying to keep Coconut Creek voters in the dark about her job at The GEO Group?

DEEP TIES TO GEO GROUP KEPT OFF CANDIDATE’S RESUME

According to online databases, from 2011 to 2015 Lauren Linville held numerous positions at The GEO Group. The positions included executive assistant, contracts administrator, research analyst for the business development department and a promotion to project management in the business development department. Linville even authored articles for the company’s GEO World magazine. Last year, Linville started a website promoting local businesses with another GEO Group alum.

While Linville boasts about the “Gather Later” website she created with Robin Verse, her jobs at The GEO Group are never mentioned.

No GEO Group work history appears on Linville’s LinkedIn profile. She lists her work at Optimum Consulting, service in the U.S. Coast Guard reserve and a one year position at Youngstown State University in the veterans affairs department.

When she applied for a seat on a Coconut Creek board, Linville submitted a paper copy of her resume. It lists Optimum Consulting and the U.S. Coast Guard. Nothing about The GEO Group.

REDBROWARD contacted Lauren Linville about her work at The GEO Group. In a reply via text message, Linville wrote, “Yes, it was my first job out of college, but I was recalled to active service for the majority of my time (three years to be exact) with Geo Group. I subsequently left shortly after returning home from Active Duty.”

Linville did not respond to questions about her job duties, promotions or her work with Robin Verse.

When asked why GEO Group does not appear on her resume, Linville wrote, “I don’t put it on my resume any longer because it was such a long time ago and is generally not relevant to work I’m seeking currently. As recently as 2-3 years ago I still had it on my resume.”

But when asked why an even older job is listed on her LinkedIn page, Linville replied, “[Youngstown State University] is where I went to school and worked as a VA rep, and I believe there is a recommendation from my supervisor I wanted to keep.”

Finally, REDBROWARD asked Linville if she wanted to keep her work at The GEO Group a secret from Coconut Creek voters.

Lauren Linville said, “No.”

a