City leaders in Pompano Beach are weighing whether to continue contracting with the Broward County Sheriff’s Office (BSO) or to establish their own police department, following the release of a detailed 143-page standalone study examining the financial and operational implications of each option.
The report breaks down several possibilities, including staying with BSO, forming a new city police department, or adopting a hybrid system. According to the study, staffing a new department would require an estimated 424 personnel, costing roughly $89 million annually in salaries alone. Operating costs would add approximately $99.8 million, while new facilities, vehicles, and equipment could total $145.5 million.
By contrast, staying with BSO under the current contract — which is in a one-year extension for 2026 — would cost the city $75 million per year. During a transitional period, that contract would decrease from $139.5 million to $81.2 million. The sheriff’s office has also requested an additional $6.4 million to cover added deputies and salary increases.
Mayor Rex Hardin emphasized the importance of community input in the decision. “It comes down really to what the residents want. We’ve got to get the information out there to them. We got to listen to them. We got to hear what they have to say,” he said.
Commissioners expressed concern about the high cost of starting a new department. “Really an astronomical number, and it seems very complicated,” Commissioner Rhonda Sigerson-Eaton said.
Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony addressed the commission Tuesday, assuring them that BSO will continue to provide full service regardless of the city’s ultimate decision. “They’ve done an impeccable job in being professionals and giving you the data that you need to make an informed decision. And whatever that decision may be, we will stand and support this city till our last day of service,” Tony said.
Tony also criticized similar reports used by neighboring Deerfield Beach, which opted to break away from BSO last year, arguing that the consultant’s conclusions were “incomplete and wrong.” Deerfield Beach cited rising costs, population growth, and the potential for savings as reasons for creating its own police force.
The Pompano Beach study also noted that the city could adopt a hybrid approach, retaining BSO for specialized units such as the bomb squad or dive team while handling other policing functions in-house. Establishing a new department is projected to take approximately two-and-a-half years.
City officials have scheduled community review sessions to discuss the findings and gather feedback. Meetings will be held Feb. 26 at the E. Pat Larkins Community Center, 520 Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd., and March 12 at the Cultural Center, 50 W. Atlantic Blvd., both starting at 6 p.m.
Mayor Hardin cautioned that the decision will require careful deliberation. “We’ve got a lot of homework to do before we come together and make decisions,” he said, noting that no final timetable has been set.
