By Sarah Roebuck
Police1
PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. — It’s been less than a year since the Pembroke Park Police Department was created, but the department has already lost nearly half of its officers, WPLG reports.
Among those no longer with the department includes the police chief who was fired in May, months after the department began serving the town of about 6,000 people. When the department was created, it ended decades of patrols by the Broward County Sheriff’s Department.
“We have 11 sworn personnel at the current moment,” Maj. Ra Shana Dabney-Donovan told WPLG. “We are focused on finding the best-qualified candidates.”
When the department started, there were 20 sworn officers.
In 2022, town officials opted to terminate their contract with the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, choosing to establish an internal police force. This decision was based on their belief that an in-house police force could manage 911 responses and law enforcement duties more effectively and economically than the previous deputies.