Deerfield Beach Builds Its Own Police and Fire Departments

Deerfield Beach is moving ahead with plans to operate its own police and fire departments, continuing a public-safety transition from its prior service arrangement with the Broward County Sheriff’s Office.

The city has identified Daniel Morgalo as transitional police chief as it forms the Deerfield Beach Police Department. City communications describe Morgalo as a law-enforcement leader with more than 30 years of experience, most recently serving as assistant chief of operations for the Miami Beach Police Department.

Departments remain under development

City public-safety updates also identify fire-department leadership and describe ongoing work to establish the Deerfield Beach Fire Department. The materials portray the change as an active operational and organizational process, rather than a completed handoff.

That work includes leadership recruitment, department formation and continued updates to the Deerfield Beach City Commission. The city’s public-safety FAQ lists a July 7, 2026, update to the commission as part of the continuing transition and planning process.

Police and fire service are among a city’s core responsibilities. The change could affect how Deerfield Beach staffs emergency services, organizes response operations, manages contracts and accounts for municipal spending. The transition also shifts the city toward direct responsibility for departments that were previously provided through the county arrangement.

Key details still to come

Deerfield Beach has not announced a final operational date for the city departments. The city also has not disclosed a final police and fire staffing level or a final cost for the transition.

For now, the next step is continued implementation and public reporting to the City Commission on staffing, operations and service readiness. Morgalo’s designation is transitional; city materials do not establish that he has been appointed permanent police chief.