DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) – City leaders in Deerfield Beach decided they are done with the Broward Sheriff’s Office and are moving forward with their own first responders.
In a 4-1 vote taken late Tuesday night, Deerfield Beach commissioners opted to cut ties with BSO and form their own police and fire departments.
“I would like to make a motion to begin the process of establishing the City of Deerfield Beach Police and Fire,” said Commissioner Michael Edward Hudak.
“I’ll second that,” said Commissioner Tom Plaut.
The vote was then taken. Commissioner Ben Preston was the lone dissenting vote.
The motion ends the longstanding contract Deerfield Beach has had with BSO since the 1990s.
Dozens of residents spoke out during the lengthy meeting. Many stated their case against parting ways with the law enforcement agency.
Tuesday’s vote comes after 10 months of heated back-and-forth between the city and BSO. At one point, Broward Counry Sheriff Gregory Tony even offered to extend their contract by two years and fund a new feasibilty study to show why their relationship should remain.
But the commissioners who favored the move to cut ties said this decision all comes down to saving money. They chose to rely on a previous independent study that determined the city could save around $8 million each year should they create their own departments.
The commission’s decision impacts tens of thousands BSO workers. The law enforcement agency will continue to provide services to the city as officials begin the process of forming their own police and fire rescue departments.
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