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Deerfield Beach commission votes to seek court order to block Broward Sheriff pullback during transition
Summary
After heated public comment and an exchange over a sheriff's mailer, the Deerfield Beach City Commission unanimously authorized special counsel and directed staff to seek expedited injunctive relief under Florida Statutes to prevent the Broward Sheriff's Office from reducing coverage during the police/fire transition.
The Deerfield Beach City Commission on June 2 unanimously approved a resolution authorizing the city to retain outside counsel and pursue expedited court action to enforce the transition contract with the Broward Sheriff's Office (BSO).
The motion, made by Vice Mayor Michael Hudak and seconded by Commissioner Plow, directed the city manager, city attorney and special counsel to "take all necessary action to initiate and pursue expedited court proceedings," including seeking preliminary or emergency injunctive relief under section 164.1041, Florida Statutes, to keep the status quo while disputes are resolved. "We must protect the health, safety, and welfare of our residents," Hudak said during debate.
Gerald Greenberg, the special counsel proposed in the engagement letter, told the commission he would file a complaint and seek temporary injunctive relief in short order if the commission certified an immediate danger. "Our plan is to get a complaint on file in very short order and to seek preliminary or emergency injunctive relief," Greenberg said, explaining the statutory pathway to bypass Chapter 164 procedures when an immediate public-safety threat is certified.
The resolution and the request for counsel follow a campaign by BSO that included a mailed flyer and social media posts, which city leaders said implied BSO would begin pulling deputies out of parts of Deerfield Beach as soon as August 1. Vice Mayor Hudak called the flyer "fear‑mongering" and argued it was inconsistent with the city's transition contract; other commissioners and multiple residents described the flyer as alarming and asked the commission to act.
Mayor Drozki framed the item as protecting residents from misinformation: "Any implication by the sheriff otherwise to not provide services at any date before then is a breach of our contract," the mayor said during remarks supporting the motion. Commissioner Shanetzky and others pressed for contingency planning to avoid any loss of coverage if BSO acted before the court could resolve the dispute.
Public speakers both supported and criticized the commission's decision. Several residents and speakers at the podium urged legal action to prevent withdrawal and to maintain service until the new Deerfield Beach police and fire departments are operational. Others, including county personnel who addressed the meeting earlier, reiterated the need for cooperative transition planning.
The motion passed by unanimous roll call (Plaut, Preston, Shanetzky, Vice Mayor Hudak, Mayor Drozki voted yes). The resolution authorizes retaining Gerald Greenberg at a proposed discounted hourly rate and to pursue Chapter 164 remedies and court relief as warranted.
What happens next: City staff and counsel said they will prepare filings quickly with the goal of getting a court ruling before any planned withdrawal dates; the commission also requested ongoing updates to the public and additional outreach to neighborhoods about transition plans and contingency arrangements.
