A consultant hired to weigh the pros and cons of removing the Broward Sheriff\u2019s Office as the provider of law enforcement services at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Port Everglades has found the plan \u201cfeasible,\u201d but stopped short of an outright recommendation pending further study.<\/p>\n
Losing the Broward Sheriff\u2019s Office at the airport and seaport would mean creating new agencies that would answer to the county rather than the sheriff. But the consultants and Jensen and Hughes warned their study did not consider key questions that would need to be answered before the county makes such a crucial decision.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe feasibility review did not examine or conclude whether the allocation of staff and its status, full-time, contracted or supplemental services, is sufficient to support a future vision of public safety at the Port,\u201d authors of the study wrote in their executive summary of the Port Everglades report.<\/p>\n
In a memo to county commissioners dated Tuesday, County Administrator Monica Cepero said the findings were similar for Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.<\/p>\n
The commission \u201ccould feasibly form a law enforcement agency to secure FLL,\u201d Cepero wrote, referring to the airport. \u201cDoing so would require various startup costs and a ramp-down of BSO personnel during the ramp-up of county law enforcement officers.\u201d<\/p>\n
To continue exploring the idea, Cepero advised the commission that even further study would be needed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe next phase would involve contracting a consulting firm for a Comprehensive Workload Analysis and Staffing Study,\u201d she wrote. \u201cThis would provide far more detailed cost figures, project schedules and personnel counts.\u201d<\/p>\n
On social media, Sheriff Gregory Tony said the studies prove his agency is the more fiscally responsible choice.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe studies were expected to reveal savings and cost efficiency, but instead projected the two transitions would cost about $440 million, compared with approximately $261.4 million to continue services with BSO,\u201d he wrote. \u201cThe cost to taxpayers is significant \u2014 an approximate 68% increase, in addition to duplication of services, resources and bureaucracies.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cepero\u2019s latest memo to the commission comes as members consider ending the 23-year-old merger of the Sheriff\u2019s Office with Broward County Fire-Rescue, a unique arrangement uniting law enforcement, firefighting and emergency medical response under one administrative roof.<\/p>\n
The relationship between the county government and the Sheriff\u2019s Office has been strained in recent years, with the sheriff accusing the county of failing to recognize the agency\u2019s financial needs and the county accusing the Sheriff\u2019s Office\u00a0of not adequately justifying its ever-growing budget demands.<\/p>\n
Last month, in a unanimous vote, the county chose to put an independent fire-rescue service on its Sept. 22 agenda<\/a>. The move could be a signal the commission is seriously considering the change.<\/p>\n Earlier this year, the Sheriff\u2019s Office\u00a0appealed its 2026 budget allocation to the state, seeking to force the county to provide\u00a0more than $73 million above the $833.9 million it provided.<\/p>\n The state has not ruled on the Sheriff\u2019s Office\u2019s\u00a0demand, and the fiscal year ends Sept. 30.<\/p>\n This year, the sheriff asked the county for a 12.4% budget increase. The county is set to pass a 5.3% increase later this month.<\/p>\n