The 6,000-person town of Pembroke Park may be considering rehiring the Broward Sheriff’s Office for police services, less than a year after it created its own police force to cut down on costs.
The town, which broke from the Sheriff’s Office, hired its own officers, bought guns and uniforms, and the force hit the streets Oct. 1. Proponents argued the town could do it better and cheaper.
But there could be talks in the works to go back to what they had.
Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony told Broward County commissioners Thursday: “I don’t want to jump ahead but there has been a request from the mayor and the commission down there to have a conversation about examining services with BSO once again.”
But going forward, he said Pembroke Park would have its own contract, not piggybacking off another city, like the last time with the city of West Park.
Town Manager Juan “J.C.” Jimenez said Thursday that there had been no public commission discussion of abandoning its department, and no vote.
“I’m not aware of any request to BSO at this time,” he said.
“This is the first time I’m hearing this.”
The agency now has 21 people, including two chiefs. It has been awash with controversy stemming from internal squabbling about the expense to maintain the department. Its first chief was fired last month.
Mayor Ashira Mohammed could not be reached for comment Thursday by phone or text.
Commissioner Geoffrey Jacobs, Mohammed’s political opponent who had crafted the idea of the new police department and hired the last chief, said he had heard rumblings that meetings were underway, and made a public records request to get the mayor’s emails to the Sheriff’s Office on May 9. He said the Sheriff’s Office has not yet responded to that request.
He blamed Mohammed for leading the charge to “systematically” take apart the department “by firing the chief.” Jacobs called it a “phenomenal department for the town. The residents love it.”
Lisa J. Huriash can be reached at lhuriash@sunsentinel.com. Follow on Twitter @LisaHuriash