Pompano Beach commissioners will hear Tuesday what it will cost to form their own police agency and look at alternatives to their current agreement with the Broward Sheriff’s Office.
The city ordered a study for a standalone police agency, driven in part by rising costs.
The report is in the hands of the city commission.
The city says BSO asked them for  $6.4 million more dollars to pay for added deputies and salary increases.
In a new contract for 2026, the city is currently in a one-year contract extension with BSO.
“Policing is a tough business, it really is,” Mayor Rex Hardin said.
Pompano once had its own police force, but joined BSO in 1999
“It comes down to what residents want. We get the information to them and get their reaction,” says the mayor
Community input sessions are scheduled in the coming weeks.
Increased BSO cost was an issue in Deerfield Beach, and part of the reason that the city decided to break with BSO and build its own safety division.
Part-time Pompano resident Mel Pernice says he likes the service he receives from BSO, but isn’t sure what sticking with them will mean for his taxes.
“But whose to say if you change to something else, it won’t go up either,” he says.
Rohin Schwartz, whose mother lives in Pompano, favors the city having its own force.
“You get to know the people serving and helping,” she says
 Hundreds of comments are pouring in on social media about the debate – including these.
One user saying: “The extra services..helicopter, marine unit..we’ll have to pay for that.”
“When cities have their own PD, they can control the cost,” said another user.
“Stay put or incur massive tax increases,” a third user exclaims.
“Seems like we should have plenty of money to create and run a police force that we control,” argued a fourth user.
The mayor says he expects commissioners to decide within two months whether to stay with BSO or start the process of forming their own agency.Â