We’re starting a new feature on 7News. Each Friday, we’ll shine a light on people who make South Florida the special place that it is. Tonight, we introduce you to a group of officers who come together to make music and forge a bond with their community. Kevin Ozebek shines the light on them in tonight’s 7 Spotlight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From patrolling the streets to dropping beats, a group of South Florida police officers does more than protect and serve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lt. Rudy Brown, Plantation Police Department: “Obviously, by day, I’m a police officer, but by night I also gig with a band.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is Lt. Rudy Brown, the founder and drummer of the Plantation Police Department band, also known as\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lt. Rudy Brown: “The Fuzz.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Fuzz has been a passion project of Lt. Brown’s for years, ever since he started working for the department in 2007.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the idea took off when he was offered a new opportunity at work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lt. Rudy Brown: “I got placed in charge of our newly formed community engagement unit. I was like, ‘Finally, this is the opportunity that I have to start this band!'”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lt. Brown convinced his higher-ups that a band could help the unit interact with the community. With their approval, he recruited the members he needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Officer Cris Palmieri spent years in a rock band before joining the Plantation Police Department. When he told Lt. Brown about his past, it did not take long before he found himself behind the mic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Officer Cris Palmieri, Plantation Police Department: “And it just happened.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lt. Brown then rounded up a few more members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lt. Rudy Brown: “Officer Jeff Beauregard.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Officer Jeff Beauregard, Plantation Police Department, singing: “Those were the best days of my life!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lt. Rudy Brown: “Officer Chris Powell.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lt. Rudy Brown: “Officer Paul Cunningham.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With the addition of bass player and City of Plantation IT employee Marcus Hurt, The Fuzz was formed in 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The band practices every week at the department’s community outreach center in the Broward Mall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lt. Rudy Brown: “We get a lot of great reaction from the people just walking by our storefront. They’re just really surprised at the fact that we’re police officers playing music.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They say the reaction from the crowd is always fun to see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Officer Cris Palmieri: “Usually it’s the jaw drop. It’s the ‘What?'”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lt. Brown says The Fuzz has become the department’s biggest and most creative way to engage the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lt. Rudy Brown: “This has been an invaluable tool to accomplish that goal. The biggest part of that is, it’s humanizing the badge.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It shows how law enforcement, and the people they serve, can connect through music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Officer Cris Palmieri: “When I get up on stage, they don’t look at me and go, ‘Oh, there’s a police officer.’ They go, ‘There’s a musician.'”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thanks to a few officers with a lot of musical talent, this department is hitting a high note with the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you know someone, some group, or some place we should spotlight, send us an email at 7spotlight@wsvn.com<\/a>. We’d love to hear from you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"