Police outline neighborhood resource officer plan, accreditation push in budget workshop

Captain Rosaro, who presented the police department’s budget to the Village of Biscayne Park commission on Aug. 19, said the department is focusing on traffic enforcement, operational stability and restoring formal reporting to state and federal systems.

Rosaro said the department has experienced leadership turnover since late 2024 but has filled critical posts, including a full‑time detective. Through July the department reported roughly 2,400 traffic citations; Rosaro said that increase reflects enforcement of moving and licensing violations rather than more aggressive policing of residents. "When an officer issues a criminal citation for a suspended license, that is considered an arrest," Rosaro said, explaining why the citation total and arrest figures have risen.

Why it matters: The presentation framed the police budget as one built around retrenchment and efficiency: repair and maintenance costs have fallen after older, unreliable vehicles were removed from the fleet; training partnerships with neighboring agencies and state resources are expected to reduce travel and per‑diem costs; and the department wants to rejoin state and federal reporting (Trax → FIBRS/NIBRS) to ensure crimes are counted in broader datasets.

Key proposals and commitments

- Neighborhood resource officer (NRO): Rosaro said the proposal in the budget is for a dedicated NRO to act as a liaison to residents and run neighborhood watch programs and community outreach. He said the department’s goal is to make the NRO a primarily dedicated position, but that the officer could assist with coverage during emergencies. Commissioners asked whether the NRO would be a shift assignment or a separate, full‑time post and whether the collective‑bargaining agreement includes pay differentials for added duties; Rosaro said he would research the contract and follow up.

- Accreditation and records systems: Rosaro asked the commission to retain a PowerDMS contract (identified in the budget at about $8,500) to support policy writing and accreditation preparation. He also said a Trax CAD/CAD integration will let the village report through state and federal channels (FIBRS and NIBRS), restoring the village to regional crime reporting for the first time in several years.

- Off‑duty employment policy and revenue tracking: Rosaro described a new off‑duty policy intended to capture village revenue when officers work private details using village equipment. He said the practice implemented in recent weeks charges "a $5 of every hour worked that goes to the village" for use of village vehicles or other resources, and finance staff said the budget now includes a separate fund to track off‑duty revenue and expenses.

Questions from commissioners and clarifications

Commissioners pressed Rosaro on the NRO’s scope (whether the position would be dedicated or expected to fill regular shifts), its treatment under the bargaining agreement, and the operational details of payment and coverage. The finance director said the off‑duty fund will be tracked separately so the commission can decide how to use the revenue. Commissioners also asked whether some prior equipment purchases (nonlethal shotguns) were necessary; Rosaro and staff said the department returned certain items and recovered vendor funds when training and operational needs did not justify the purchases.

What happens next: Staff said remaining line‑item questions will be addressed in the line‑by‑line review at the second workshop; no formal vote on the police budget occurred at the session.