The Broward Sheriff's Office

What The Broward Sheriff's Office does

The Broward Sheriff's Office (BSO) is the primary law enforcement agency for Broward County, Florida, founded in 1915 and headquartered in Fort Lauderdale. The agency serves as a constitutional office under Florida law, providing comprehensive public safety services across 17 districts covering both unincorporated Broward County and contracted municipalities including Pompano Beach (the largest contract), Tamarac, Deerfield Beach, Parkland, Oakland Park, Cooper City, and West Park. BSO operates four service lines: law enforcement, fire rescue (acquired from Broward County in October 2003), detention, and emergency communications, supported by over 40 specialized units including Aviation, K-9, Bomb Squad, Dive Team, Marine Patrol, SWAT, Crime Lab, and DUI Unit.

BSO's technology backbone is the Real Time Crime Center (RTCC), launched in 2019 under the Threat Management Division, which provides real-time intelligence to first responders in the field through integration with the 911 Center's Computer-Aided Dispatch system. The agency extended this capability through the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) program in September 2021, allowing private businesses and residents to connect their security cameras directly to the RTCC for crime prevention and rapid emergency response. Additional digital services include the BSO Cares Registry for individuals with disabilities, the SaferWatch mobile/web safety application, the BSO Crimes Map, and the Vacation Home Watch program.

BSO is funded through Broward County tax revenues and contractual agreements with municipalities, with the Pompano Beach contract being the largest single municipal relationship. The agency maintains federal-agency partnerships (FBI, DHS, CBP, TSA) particularly through its contracts at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (35+ million annual travelers) and Port Everglades (3.6 million annual cruise passengers). Revenue is not publicly disclosed, but the agency holds more than 15 accreditations including CALEA, ASCLD, NCCHC, CFAI, ACA, CARF, and ISO 9001, and is led by Sheriff Dr. Gregory Tony.

Name

The Broward Sheriff's Office

Legal name

Broward County Sheriff's Office

Website

https://sheriff.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1915

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

The Broward Sheriff's Office is a Florida constitutional law enforcement agency serving 17 districts across Broward County through contracted municipal police services, fire rescue, detention, and the Real Time Crime Center, supported by over 40 specialized units and serving approximately 1.9 million residents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Law Enforcement and Public Safety Services

NAICS

Police Protection (922120), Police Protection (92212), Fire Protection (92216)

SIC

Services-Detective, Guard & Armored Car Services (7381)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Safety Support Services (Records, Evidence, Fleet, Logistics) (BPAIAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

State/Provincial Public Safety & Emergency Management (Police, Fire, EMS Oversight) (BPAIABAG)

Keywords

• Law enforcement services
• Public safety
• Fire rescue services
• Crime prevention programs
• Emergency communications

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Lauderdale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices17 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Municipal Law Enforcement Contracts: BSO provides contracted law enforcement services to multiple municipalities throughout Broward County. Cities contract with BSO to provide comprehensive police services, including patrol, investigations, and specialized units.
2. Municipal Fire Rescue Contracts: BSO Fire Rescue provides fire rescue services to municipalities following the transfer of Broward County Fire Rescue operational responsibilities in October 2003.
3. Sheriff's Foundation Donations: The Sheriff's Foundation of Broward County, created in 1999, is funded through private donations to promote public safety through education, public awareness, and charitable activities. Funds support fallen heroes families, community programs, K-9 units, disaster relief, and anti-bullying programs.
4. Public-Private Partnership: No fees from BSO to participate in the Public-Private Partnership. Businesses pay vendors directly for camera installation and maintenance. Insurance discounts may be available for participants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Broward Sheriff's Office (BSO) is a full-service public safety agency delivering contracted municipal law enforcement, fire rescue, emergency communications, and detention services across Broward County, Florida. Its core service delivery is supported by the Real Time Crime Center (RTCC), Computer-Aided Dispatch integration, and a Public-Private Partnership that links privately owned cameras directly to first responders.

Product overview

The Broward Sheriff's Office (BSO) is a law enforcement agency providing comprehensive public safety services across Broward County, Florida. The agency operates multiple interconnected programs and specialized units rather than a single software product. Core offerings include the Real Time Crime Center (RTCC) - a state-of-the-art facility leveraging technology for first responder support - paired with the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) allowing businesses to connect security cameras directly to RTCC. The BSO Cares Registry provides a voluntary database for persons with disabilities, while SaferWatch and BSO Crimes Map offer web/mobile safety tools for the community. Community programs include the Citizen Observer Patrol (COP) volunteer program, Law Enforcement Explorers youth initiative, Crisis Intervention Team for mental health response, and Homeless Outreach Team. The Shop Talk Podcast extends the agency's community engagement through digital media.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BSO Cares: A voluntary registry for persons with disabilities living in Broward County that allows BSO deputies and dispatchers to access important information during emergencies, missing person cases, or calls for service.
• SaferWatch
• Real Time Crime Center (RTCC)
• Shop Talk with the Sheriff
• BSO Crime Map
• Public-Private Partnership (PPP)

Products and services

• Municipal Law Enforcement Contract Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 35 million airport travelers served annually
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Port EvergladescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1991Since 1991, BSO has provided law enforcement services for Port Everglades. By utilizing specialized resources such as Harbor Patrol, Investigations Unit, Bomb Detection, and K-9 Unit, BSO provides full service to visitors and businesses at the Port. BSO acts as the Port's Facility Security Officer, managing the Security Operations Center and Port ID Office which issues over 22,000 permanent ID Cards and 15,000 temporary cards yearly.
• Broward County Aviation DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Broward County Aviation Department contracts with BSO to provide law enforcement services at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), which welcomed over 35 million travelers in 2023. BSO Airport District ensures safe, secure, efficient, and pleasant experience for passengers and tenants.
• Approved Security Camera VendorsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorApproved vendors for BSO's Public-Private Partnership program include Conti, Allied Universal Technology Services, Complete Alarm Inc., Neosys Integrations, HNL, Broadcast Systems, Delphi One Systems, and AT&I. These vendors install cameras compatible with BSO RTCC integration.
• Broward County Chiefs of PolicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTRIAD is a partnership between BSO, Broward County Chiefs of Police, and the Association for the Advancement of Retired Persons (AARP) to reduce criminal victimization of senior citizens and enhance delivery of law enforcement services to Broward County's elderly population.
• Association for the Advancement of Retired Persons (AARP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAARP partners with BSO and Broward County Chiefs of Police in the TRIAD program to enhance senior citizen safety and services.
• Broward County Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBully Prevention and Education program funds work in conjunction with programs promoted in the Broward County Public School District, such as the Act Now Program from the Wisconsin Children's Health Education Center.
• Police Athletic League (PAL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPAL provides youth opportunities to participate in sports and activities after school or during summer to build character, self-esteem, foster positive relationships, and promote good citizenship.
• Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBSO Airport District works closely with FBI on compliance and investigative matters at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBSO Airport District collaborates with CBP on compliance and investigative matters related to border security and customs enforcement.
• Transportation Security Administration (TSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBSO Airport District acts as liaison between airport tenants, BCAD, and TSA for security compliance and operations.
• U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBSO Airport District works with DHS on compliance and investigative matters at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
• South Florida ICAC Task ForcecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBSO co-commands the South Florida ICAC (Internet Crimes Against Children) Task Force, which serves 13 counties and manages more than $500,000 in annual federal funds.
• Southeast Florida Regional All Hazards Incident Management TeamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBSO Lieutenant Toni Hopkins serves as Unit Supply Leader with this team, supporting disaster response efforts statewide.
• Florida Department of Law EnforcementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBSO holds FDLE accreditation and BSO personnel hold FDLE certifications for various law enforcement functions.
• Accreditation BodiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBSO maintains accreditations from ASCLD, FCAC, NCCHC, CFAI, ACA, CARF, CFA, CAAS, ANAB, FDLE, CALEA, APCO, IAED, NIGP, and ISO.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Miami-Dade Police Department: Larger regional Florida law enforcement agency serving Miami-Dade County; overlaps with BSO's South Florida footprint and offers comparable specialized units (Aviation, Marine, K-9, SWAT), though structured as a county police department rather than a sheriff's office with municipal contracts.
• Cook County Sheriff's Office (Illinois): Large urban sheriff's office combining municipal contract policing, court security, and corrections in the Chicago metro area; comparable broad public safety mandate and contracted-service delivery model.
• Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department: One of the largest sheriff's offices in the US providing contracted municipal law enforcement, court services, and detention across a major metropolitan area; similar consolidated multi-jurisdictional model at greater scale.
• Harris County Sheriff's Office (Texas): Major Texas sheriff's office providing contracted law enforcement to multiple municipalities in the Houston area; similar scale (5,000+ employees) and comprehensive service portfolio including patrol, investigations, and specialized units.
• Maricopa County Sheriff's Office (Arizona): Large multi-jurisdictional sheriff's office serving Phoenix-area municipalities via contracts; similar headcount tier and broad service mandate including patrol, detention, and specialized units.

Direct peers

• Orange County Sheriff's Office (Florida): Major Florida sheriff's office providing contracted police services to multiple municipalities in the Orlando metro area; comparable scale and service portfolio including specialized units and detention operations.
• Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office: Largest direct peer - neighboring Florida county sheriff's office that provides contracted law enforcement services to multiple municipalities and operates specialized units (Aviation, K-9, Marine) over a similarly large geographic area with comparable headcount scale.
• Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (Florida): Florida county sheriff's office that contracts with municipalities including Tampa-area cities, operates a comparable mix of patrol, specialized units, and Fire Rescue oversight; nearly identical service model and multi-jurisdictional contract structure.

Regional players

• Pinellas County Sheriff's Office (Florida): Florida-based sheriff's office serving the Tampa Bay region with contracted municipal services; comparable operational model including Real Time Crime Center capabilities and similar municipal contract approach.
• Volusia County Sheriff's Office (Florida): Mid-sized Florida sheriff's office providing patrol and specialty services across multiple municipalities in central Florida; similar contracted-services and Florida-specific regulatory environment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/bsowebmaster
• Facebookfacebook.com/browardsheriffsoffice
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/browardsheriff

Compliance15 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Broward Sheriff's Office