Deerfield-News. com-Deerfield Beach, FL-When my family moved to Deerfield Beach in 1974, the honorable Mayor Dugdale was mayor.
Deerfield Beach had its own police department and fire department.
The next Mayor I knew was Mayor Jean Robb.She was Deerfield Beach’s longest-serving Mayor in the 100-year history of the city.
I traveled in the summer of 1979 from New Jersey to Deerfield Beach with two of my childhood friends. As a frequent visitor to Deerfield Beach from 1974 to 1980, I had the pleasure of meeting some of Deerfield Beach’s finest police officers.
The summer of ’79, coming down to Florida with two childhood friends at the age of 17, was a great experience. That summer, Deerfield Beach police officer R.Schmidt took the three Jersey boys on his boat on his time and his dime. We learned how to water ski at Lake Ida and Crystal Lake. That was community policing at its finest.
I moved to Deerfield Beach permanently in 1980.
As a young business owner of a Texaco station and Meyers Muffler shop at 225 and 237 North Dixie Highway, which was adjacent to City Hall and the Deerfield Beach Police Department. This was in the early eighties now, and Deerfield Beach had its own police and fire departments. This was a time when police officers knew the community, including the local shopkeepers, and were familiar with their way around town.
Every police officer and Deerfield Beach firefighter knew their way around the city . Dispatchers were local, actually inside the police station on 2nd Street, now Eller Street, named after Deerfield Beach businessman David Eller. The Eller family owned M&W Pump, now MWI, with headquarters on Eller Street.
Fast forward to June 2025, after decades of Deerfield Beach police and fire rescue services being handled by the BSO, which we, the taxpayers, pay for. Sheriff Gregory Tony has terminated our contract effective September 30, 2025.
The untenable position Sheriff Tony has put Deerfield Beach in is inexcusable. Deerfield Beach should never be at the mercy of Tony or any other future Sheriff.
I have spoken to my commissioner, Dan Shanetzky, and Mayor Drosky to inform them of this constituent’s concerns and position on this serious matter.
I would suggest that all residents do the same: make a call, send an email, and attend a commission meeting. Deerfield Beach has options, the best of which is having our own police and fire departments again. The second best option would be partnering with a neighboring city, Boca Raton, Coconut Creek, Lighthouse Point, and Pompano Beach would all be good options to partner with ,if Deerfield Beach does not want to go it alone.
Going back to a contract with BSO, which has terminated the contract, would be the definition of insanity. Doing the same thing and expecting a different result.
The reason is that the contracts are cancellable by either party with 90 days’ notice. Sheriff Tony could literally cancel every 91st day and demand more money than the contract calls for, which is what he is doing now. A contract is a contract, a deal is a deal.
Tony has tried to strong-arm Deerfield Beach, his mistake.
Deerfield Beach should say ADIOS BSO!
Let your city commissioner and Mayor Drosky know!
