POMPANO BEACH, Fla. – Pompano Beach officials are considering breaking away from the Broward Sheriff’s Office and bringing back its own police department.
In February, city commissioners discussed the first steps, getting quotes to hire a consultant to give the city a better idea of the cost and what it would take to again have a Pompano Beach Police Department.
For 25 years, Pompano Beach has been patrolled by BSO. Commissioners are split on the issue.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to sever with BSO,” said Commissioner Rhonda Sigerson-Eaton.
Commissioner Audrey Fesik said after a recent tour, given the amount of money spent with BSO, Pompano Beach facilities are not up to par.
“If you were to take a tour of their facilities, I believe it was best said that sometimes when it rains outside, it also rains inside their building,” she said.
Mayor Rex Hardin says overall, the city is pleased with the service provided by BSO.
“I think BSO does a great job for us, has for many years,” he said. “Is it perfect? Of course not. No one is, let’s face it.”
In a statement to Local 10, Hardin said, in part:
“The commissioners also want to consider costs and recommended service levels to consider the alternative of creating a new city of Pompano Beach Police Department.”
Back in 2022, Pembroke Park broke away from BSO after 41 years.
“I am aware of another city recently in Broward County,” said Sigerson-Eaton. “I’m not going to name that city -- that just went out, left BSO to get their own police force and I’m not exactly sure of the number, but in an estimate, it is costing them way more per year than they anticipated.”
Like Pembroke Park, Pompano Beach would have to purchase everything from guns to cars to infrastructure, and pay for personnel salaries, and more.
According to the city’s budget, the cost to stay under BSO rose dramatically from $53 million in 2022 to $63 million in 2025.
The most recent proposal from BSO for 2026 increased again to $72 million.
There is a meeting scheduled for Thursday to review consultant proposals. No decisions have been made yet ― the first step is merely to evaluate the idea’s feasibility.