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Broward Sheriff's Office reports staffing gains, license-plate reader arrests; commissioners press BSO on vacancies
Summary
Acting Captain Christopher Palmar told the Tamarac City Commission that BSO handled more than 4,000 March calls in Tamarac, used automatic license-plate readers to solve crimes and is filling nine budgeted positions; commissioners pressed BSO for a faster return of deputies placed on restricted duty.
Acting Captain Christopher Palmar of the Broward Sheriff's Office told the Tamarac City Commission on April 9 that BSO handled 4,053 calls for service in March and credited automatic license-plate readers (ALPRs) with several arrests and leads. "LPRs were also used to facilitate the arrest of an armed robbery," Palmar said, describing cases in which ALPR hits led deputies to suspect vehicles and arrests.
Palmar said the citywide year-to-date tally shows a 6% increase in calls for service and that overall Part 1 crimes are down 14% year over year, while auto thefts are trending up. He highlighted several enforcement effortsOperation Safe Streets, motor-unit blitzes with neighboring North Lauderdale and targeted suppression that produced multiple citations and arrests.
On staffing, Palmar said the city-funded nine additional positions are being filled gradually: "Of the 9 bodies that were allocated by the city, three are currently in action. I anticipate a lateral hire coming in April 28 and approximately three from the academy graduating May 9," he said. He added six of the newly budgeted positions remain to be deployed. The captain also said six other Tamarac-assigned deputies remain on restricted duty while internal investigations continue.
Commissioners pressed Palmar on domestic-violence resources, the status of detectives and beat officers moved to restricted duty, and whether BSO would reassign personnel from elsewhere to maintain visibility. Palmar described plans to add a detective focused partly on domestic-violence follow-up and said CST detectives will ensure victims receive up-to-date literature and referrals.
Mayor Michelle J. Gomez and several commissioners urged urgency filling vacancies and restoring patrol levels. "We have a city of 70,000 plus people and...it is absolute priority that we get the numbers back," Commissioner Crystal Patterson said. Palmar said BSO is conducting additional hiring and expected several hires by May and expressed hope some restricted-duty deputies would return in June or July.
Palmar also outlined community policing work: increased ALPR deployment, motor-unit operations on Bailey Road in partnership with North Lauderdale, active-killer training with hospital and partner agencies, and anti-auto-theft work that recovered dozens of vehicles.
Commissioners asked the city manager and BSO to continue regular updates on staffing fill rates, academy schedules and the expected calendar for returning restricted-duty deputies. The commission did not take formal action; Palmar stayed after the meeting to take follow-up questions from commissioners.
Ending: The commission signaled strong interest in faster restoration of BSO staffing levels and additional domestic-violence follow-up capability; BSO said recruitment and reassignments are under way and will be reported back in coming weeks.
