Last week, a photo floated around on Facebook -- it was shared at least 48 times -- of a Lamborghini Aventador that was wrapped in logos for the Broward Sheriff's Office.
Though the car was supposed to a be a cool promo for the department, it somewhat backfired when an image of the car was shared on Facebook, prompting people to wonder whether the sheriff's office had spent taxpayer dollars on a pricey car.
"We could have spent $250,000 much more wisely," one commenter decried.
Asked about the car, Veda Coleman-Wright, director of BSO's public information office, explained that it was on loan from the Prestige Imports of Miami for the Toys in the Sun run and that it had been wrapped at no cost to the department.
Florida statutes specify that only cars owned and operated by sheriffs departments can use their logos and color schemes, and that it's unlawful for cars to be marked like law enforcement cars unless properly authorized. But BSO got around those by drawing up a written contract that looks like a de facto rental agreement, suggesting the agency is renting the car for $10. The contract specified that the car had to be towed to and from the event and that the wrap had to be removed after 72 hours.
Luckily for BSO, Prestige Imports' "boy wonder" CEO Brett David, 28, doesn't have a criminal record nor any speeding tickets. (Yes, we checked! Can't be too careful in a town where people ooh and aah over rich people/ expensive things regardless of whether they're actually hideous [see: Scott Rothstein, Bernie Madoff, Louis Vuitton handbags, et al.])
David's Instagram shows BSO officers proudly standing around the car.
One cynic commented, "Nice tax write off."
Prestige did not return a call left for a manager last week.
"BSO was very proud to have been a participant in the annual Toys for Tots charity event. We thank the car's owner for coming up with this very creative way to garner more attention for this great cause," said Coleman-Wright.
Asked what the protocol is if a private citizen wanted to wrap, say, her 2005 Toyota to look like a BSO car, Coleman Wright explained "A private citizen would not be allowed to do so. A business, if working with BSO on an event, would have to obtain permission from BSO's Office of the General Counsel. Additionally, the design used on the Lamborghini is not the same as what's on our patrol cars."
So, there you have it.
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