Update: Hollywood Cops To Explore Joining BSO
BY BUDDY NEVINS
In what might be the first expansion of Sheriff Scott Israel’s law enforcement empire since he was sworn-in less than two months ago, Hollywood’s police have voted to explore a merger with the Broward Sheriff’s Office.
The city’s Police Benevolent Association voted 89-2 to look into a union.
The Hollywood force has suffered for years as the city’s financial problems put a brake on benefits and pay. In 2011, the police pay was cut 12.5 percent, according to the Sun-Sentinel.
In addition, a number of officers believe the city commission does not value their work and recently distributed flyers which stated: “Our city DOES NOT LIKE US. They think we are glorified secretaries and should work for minimum wage with a 401K!”
So the first thing the Hollywood cops will explore is whether Israel will have to make a better pay and benefits offer than they can get from city hall. No doubt, BSO can give Hollywood officers better career paths with more opportunities for advancement because it is much larger.
Any merger agreement must be approved by Hollywood commissioners.
So to fashion a deal, Israel will have to show the Hollywood force they will get more from BSO while offering commissioners a budget savings. He could be helped by former Hollywood Chief Chad Wagner, who now works for the sheriff’s office.
Also available for help would be Israel confidant former Sheriff Ken Jenne. Jenne enticed some cities to join BSO while he was sheriff and is a master negotiator from his experience in the state Senate.
It’s Israel’s game to win or lose.
A take-over by Israel would be the 15th city out of 31 in Broward that BSO would patrol.
The others are Cooper City, Dania Beach, Deerfield Beach, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Lauderdale Lakes, North Lauderdale, Oakland Park, Parkland, Pembroke Park, Pompano Beach, Southwest Ranches, Tamarac, Weston and West Park. In addition, BSO polices unincorporated areas, the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Port Everglades, the courthouses, has a fire-rescue division and the operates one of the largest jail systems in Florida.
Below is the news release from the Hollywood PBA. Click to enlarge it:
February 26th, 2013 at 5:03 pm
As a resident of a city with its own police force, I am tired of subsidizing the residents of the 14 cities that contract with BSO. I have no problem with BSO contracting with these cities, but I want audits done. There’s no way that the costs aren’t being borne by all County taxpayers.
February 26th, 2013 at 6:16 pm
The Hollywood police need totally new leadership because they have a discipline problem as proven by all the scandals they have been involved with. The sheriff can clean house.
February 26th, 2013 at 6:19 pm
Hollywood commissioners should be happy if the sheriff takes the police off their plate. Then they can concentrate on mishandling the rest of the city.
February 26th, 2013 at 8:08 pm
Now that the criminal Lamberti is gone, Sheriff Israel can provide “real” numbers for the cost of a merger. If it benefits the City AND their employees, they should do it.
Be careful what you wish for however. If another despicable, incompetent, unethical criminal like Lamberti gets elected in four years there will be trouble in paradise.
February 26th, 2013 at 8:42 pm
More ‘city’ PD’s will start to explore joining BSO. Under the right leadership, and Israel, the economy of scale is a positive. Even the dummies will see the no brainer to do this because in 5-10 years cities will default on ALL pensions. FD’s will eventually follow because property values – the primary revenue stream fot all 31 plus county will remain flat. the 911 guffaw today by BCC will come back to haunt them come Aug 2014 elections.
February 26th, 2013 at 9:43 pm
Funny that someone started to use my name. LOL
February 27th, 2013 at 12:57 am
Did not the Chief of Police from Hollywood, Wagner, just sign on with Israel?
FROM BUDDY: Yes, former Chief Chad Wagner is now a captain with BSO.
February 27th, 2013 at 8:06 am
Damn, I was hoping that the headline meant that quite a few Hollywood police officers and leaders were going to be making a choice between residing in BSO jail cells or Fed bunks.
I Have to stop dreaming.
February 27th, 2013 at 2:35 pm
I hope for the sake of the officers, they can get this deal done. Neither the city or the residence support them unless of course they need to dial 911. The commision should be required to ride with an officer to enjoy what they have to deal with daily!
February 27th, 2013 at 6:30 pm
I agree. The commissioners should also have to ride around for a day with a 40 year old retired officer receiving a pension of $75-$100k a year.
Maybe also have them ride around with a city resident (who does not work for the city)to watch them struggle to pay their bills?
February 28th, 2013 at 9:23 am
I also agree that citizens should ride with cops and fully support my tax payer paid cops being videoed in the line of duty to show and share with us.
We need to see the tapes of the arrest of the Coconut Creek officer passed out in his car, officers speeding 120 MPH, officers threatening the mentaly disabled, officers “Disneying up” running into a citizen’s car, and maybe things like sending a mentaly disabled young man with an IQ of 67 to prison for a quarter century .
Technology will allow us to ride with the police and there should ne no opposition to in-car and citizens filming what they see.
BTW, was it the police unions and officers or the electronic examination of the police car toll records which showed that we have an inceredible and dangerous problem with speeding cops abusing taxpayers ? Was it the private citizen or the police who were engaged in a virtual war with the FHP officer who dared to stop a triple digit speeding officer?
Yes, put us in the cars and you can do that with cameras. The motto is “Protect and Serve” not “Drive a 120 MPH , ignore the laws we arrest YOU for and screw taxpayers”.
I have the utmost respect for professional officers and do not want them tainted with the criminals that work in the force.
February 28th, 2013 at 11:44 pm
Hollywood started the “outsourcing” ball a while back when they outsourced the garbage men. The Mayor has said in the past he likes the Weston model (the ENTIRE city’s workforce is outsourced). So just do it and get it over with.
BSO will come in and make excompassionateconservative and Nunz happy by subjecting HPD to higher standards and a stricter Internal Affairs and apparently based on the article the cops will be happy too, so everyone wins.
Plus a bigger BSO means criminals can’t just jump over city lines to avoid getting caught because of PDs not cooperating.
Everyone hates HPD anyway, just read the blogs and its apparent, this seems like a step toward fixing it.