The City of Deerfield Beach has decided to cut ties with the Broward Sheriff's Office (BSO) after a 35-year relationship.
On Tuesday, the city's commission passed a motion to begin the process to establish its own police and fire rescue services, both of which had been provided by BSO. The motion passed 4-1. It was the culmination of a months-long debate that included heated exchanges from both Sheriff Gregory Tony and members of the commission.
Deerfield Beach’s contract with BSO expired in September, meaning the city had two years to negotiate a new contract extension with BSO or stand up its own independent operations. Deerfield has contracted law enforcement services from BSO since 1990 and fire rescue services since 2011.
In October, the city hired The Center for Public Safety, an independent organization, to conduct a feasibility study to examine the potential costs of creating their own police and fire rescue departments. The study found that severing ties with BSO could save the city more than $500 million over the next 20 years.
At a city commission meeting on Jan. 6, Sheriff Tony told the commission that the report was flawed and biased, calling it “ an advocacy memorandum to support some of the agenda to move towards an independent police department and fire rescue.”
“If you are going to make that decision [to end BSO’s contract], it needs to be an informed decision based upon data analytics, sound reporting, qualitative and quantitative analysis, and not an emotional decision that impacts the 87,000 people and the hundreds of first responders that have been serving this community for 35 years,” he said.
Tony even offered to extend BSO’s current contract by two years and pay for a new study if the city picked a new consultant from a list of what he called “ the top reputable groups that [do] this for a living.”
READ MORE: BSO offers to pay for new study as Deerfield Beach delays vote to end relationship
At the heart of the dispute were the escalating yearly costs of BSO's services. In August, BSO asked for a 9.4% increase for fire rescue and a 10.1% increase for law enforcement services. However, Deerfield Beach's contracts with BSO state that budget increases for the sheriff's office year-to-year may not exceed 5%.
In addition, Deerfield Beach Mayor Todd Drosky said the decision gives the city more control over how law enforcement and fire rescue are administered.
" Under the BSO model, it is indisputable that the city has limited authority over staffing, compensation benefits, and operational decisions, yet it bears the full financial impact of cost increases," he said.
He also pushed back strongly to Tony's claims that without BSO, law enforcement in Deerfield Beach would be subpar and could lead to loss of life.
" The fallacy that lives will be lost or that there'll be a lack of public safety with such a switch is nothing but baseless fear-mongering." Drosky said, " To imply these men and women somehow would be less professional or less attentive to their duties, merely because they work for the city of Deerfield Beach instead of BSO is offensive to everyone who wears the uniform."
In a statement posted to social media after the decision was made, Tony reiterated those claims.
"Every decision must be rooted in facts, not emotion or politics. This misinformed decision poses great public safety concerns. BSO will continue to prioritize public safety over politics and serve with professionalism, integrity, and excellence that the community deserves.”
Tony also cited a poll that was commissioned by Broward First, the sheriff's political committee, that showed broad support for Deerfield Beach renewing its agreement with BSO.
"The Commission also ignored the voice of the people, which was consistent with an independent poll indicating 75% of Deerfield Beach voters supported the city renewing its contract with BSO."
Vice Mayor Ben Preston introduced a last minute motion that would have accepted Tony's offer to extend services by two years, but it was defeated 2-3.
Deerfield Beach will have roughly 20 months to have its police and fire rescue operations up and running. BSO's contract currently commits police and fire services to the city until September of 2027.
