The Bryant Peney Memorial Scholarship
ABOUT
Bryant Peney was born on July 27th, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee. He began working at the Fort Lauderdale Police Department in 1990.
Officer Bryant Peney was shot on the night of January 5, 1996, during a foot chase with a subject.
Officer Peney is survived by his parents and twin brother, who is a former Fort Lauderdale Police Captain.
In 1997 Bryant's friends and family established the Bryant Peney Memorial Scholarship to provide the children of police officers with assistance in paying for college.
Bryant Peney Memorial Park
On June 24th, 1997 the City of Fort Lauderdale renamed Lauderdale Park to Bryant H. Peney Park, and a memorial monument was dedicated at the park.
On January 10th, 2015 The Bryant Peney Park was re-dedicated on 4th Avenue in Fort Lauderdale. Over 100 volunteers helped in refurbishing the grounds and all new playground equipment was installed including a new sign. Upon completion a ceremony was held with the mayor and commissioner plus dozens of Fort Lauderdale Police Officers, Fire Fighters and other city employees. The park refurbishing was paid for with a grant to the Fort Lauderdale Parks Division. Bryant patrolled this neighborhood and was the officer who worked closely with the Home Owners Association.
Bryant Peney Street
On Tuesday March 24th, 2009, part of a Fort Lauderdale street was dedicated to Bryant. The street dedication ceremony took place at 900 S.E. 15 Street, located at the intersection of S.E. 15 street and S. Miami Road in front of Harbordale Elementary School.
Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler attended the street dedication ceremony, which concluded with the unveiling of a new Bryant Peney Street sign at the northwest corner of S.E. 15 street and S. Miami Road.
The renaming took place thanks to the efforts of Fort Lauderdale police officer, Sgt. Monica Ferrer, who knew Peney when she was a high school student with the department's police-explorers program.
The Bryant Peney Act
On June 20th, 2001, the Bryant Peney Act was signed into law by Florida Governor Jeb Bush. The law allows prosecution for murder in the first degree (felony murder) when a perpetrator unlawfully kills a law enforcement officer or another individual while they are committing, attempting to commit, or escaping from the immediate scene of a felony while resisting an officer with violence.