Under bright fluorescent lights in a crowded Pompano Beach commission chamber, city leaders outlined the first formal steps toward potentially ending a decades‑long contract with the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) and creating an independent municipal police department. The Oct. 9 meeting drew residents, small‑business owners and civic groups, many of whom asked probing questions about cost, accountability and the practicalities of a transition.

“We want quicker response times and neighborhood officers who answer to city leaders,” said one resident during public comment, reflecting a common theme among attendees. Others warned that the price tag and administrative burden of standing up a department could outweigh any local control benefits. “This could cost the city dearly if it’s not done carefully,” a second resident cautioned.

City officials said the move is, for now, exploratory. Mayor and commission members emphasized that no decision has been made and that the next step is a fiscal and operational analysis by outside consultants. That study will aim to quantify startup costs, long‑term pension and health liabilities, equipment needs, and the timeline required to achieve state certification and training for officers. Officials estimated a transition would likely take at least a year and possibly two, depending on negotiations over employee transfers and shared‑service agreements.

Municipal separations from county sheriff’s offices are complex transactions. Pompano Beach would need to negotiate whether current deputies serving the city would transfer to the new force, how pension obligations would be managed, and how mutual‑aid arrangements with neighboring agencies would be preserved. Florida law allows cities to form their own police departments, but the process involves compliance with state training standards and certification through law enforcement oversight bodies.

Local political dynamics were on display. Supporters frame the change as an opportunity to build a department rooted in local priorities — community policing, transparency and cultural competency — while critics, including some fiscal watchdogs and union representatives, warned that fragmentation could weaken regional responses to major incidents and duplicate services such as SWAT, aviation and marine units that are expensive to maintain.

The debate in Pompano Beach also connects to broader national conversations about policing and local governance. Cities across the United States have wrestled with whether decentralization improves accountability or merely shifts costs. In South Florida, neighboring municipalities such as Fort Lauderdale and Pembroke Pines operate their own police departments, providing models and cautionary tales for Pompano Beach policymakers.

Statewide and regional coordination will be a central concern. Officials said maintaining interoperability with BSO and adjacent departments for large‑scale emergencies will be critical, as will managing community expectations about staffing levels and response times.

For now, the central facts are procedural: the city has authorized an exploratory study, scheduled public hearings and set a timeline for release of the consultant’s findings. If the study endorses a split, the next steps could include contract termination negotiations, budget votes and potentially a public referendum — each step subject to legal and financial scrutiny. Residents left the meeting aware that the choice ahead is as much about dollars and logistics as it is about trust and who ultimately answers to the community.