Page 12 - HB0823

Mayor’s Message

I
hope everyone is having a wonderful summer and finding some time to relax and
travel. At the city, we have several pieces of good news to share regarding first our
Police Department and second our relationship with the Inter Miami professional
soccer team.
In June, the city broke ground on the long-awaited new police headquarters. This
new 192,263-square-foot facility will have sufficient space for a force that has been
growing with our city and will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology and
resources to help in their crime-fighting efforts.
The construction schedule calls for it to be completed and open in 2025.

It was great to be part of the community-wide effort to bring this project to fruition. The
Dean Trantalis top priority of any city is to protect its residents, and that requires a police force that is
MAYOR well-trained and well-equipped. We have long prided ourselves in having a low-crime
City of Fort Lauderdale rate and a new police headquarters will help ensure Fort Lauderdale remains a safe
dtrantalis@fortlauderdale.gov
place for people to live, work and visit.

Our current police station was built some 60 years ago. It has grown woefully out of
date and is in poor physical condition. Here’s how problematic the current building
has become:
Its structural integrity has weakened over time and cannot withstand the strength of
hurricanes today. It had to be evacuated during Hurricane Irma, putting our officers –
and our community – at risk.

The Bureau of Investigations, a key part of the Police Department, is located two miles
away because there is not enough space on site. Elevators and restrooms do not meet
current code. Some restrooms even lack hot water.
Office Contact There is no fire sprinkler system in the building. Water and sewer leaks in the basement
Scott Wyman raise the possibility of mold and mildew. The air conditioning is so decrepit that
Chief of Staff to the Mayor
swyman@fortlauderdale.gov condensed water must be manually emptied daily because there is no drainage to
954.828.5314 accommodate it.

Aerial photo Fort Lauderdale Police Department on Broward Boulevard USA

10 HARBOR BEACH Magazine | www . harborbeach . org

7/30/23 10:38 PM
HB 0823.indd 10 7/30/23 10:38 PM
HB 0823.indd 10