AGENCY Profile

The City of Margate is located in the Miami-Ft. Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metroplex, the sixth largest metropolitan area in the United States.  Margate is the oldest city in northwestern Broward County having been incorporated May 30, 1955.  In 1955, the city administration consisted of a Town Clerk-Treasurer, a police officer, and a designated attorney.

The city has grown to become the 15^th largest city in Broward County, with a population in excess of 54,000.   The city covers approximately 9.44 square miles, has approximately 135 miles of roadways, and approximately 30 miles of waterways. The city is governed by a Mayor/Commission form of government. The City Commission appoints the City Manager, a professional administrator, who oversees and manages the day-to-day operations of the city through appointed department directors.   

 While primarily residential in nature, the city does have a significant business and industrial area which is currently undergoing substantial redevelopment.  The city has created a Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) to guide this redevelopment and to ensure sustainability of these efforts, and has hosted a community visioning effort to gather input from community as to the future direction of the city.  The city has also recognized the need for community-wide property maintenance standards by adopting several new ordinances related to property maintenance and appearance.  These new laws are designed to prevent blighting conditions, sustain property values and reduce crime.

 The city is widely recognized for its exceptional home-town quality of life and the provision of excellent municipal services, including police and fire protection.  The City has a richly diverse population that is continually changing.  There are a large number of “snowbirds,” including many Canadians, who call Margate home during the winter months.  A number of major east-west and north-south roadways are utilized by residents and business owners to transverse from one section of the county to another. High traffic volume is a major concern.

 The current Chief of Police, Jerry A. Blough, was appointed in 1996. During his tenure, the police department has grown to  228 members, which includes 120 sworn officers and 108 civilian personnel (including part-time employees). The department has an annual budget in excess of 13 million dollars. The department, a full-service law enforcement agency, is organized in traditional and paramilitary fashion.  The department is responsible for dispatching police, fire, and code enforcement which is a functional responsibility of the police department.

 The police department initiated the community-policing philosophy on a limited basis in 1993, when a separate division was formed to include code enforcement and community policing officers. Since then, Chief Blough has extended the community-policing philosophy department wide. Members of the department have established working partnerships with other city departments, county, state and federal agencies, homeowners associations and members of the private sector. The department has adopted a proactive stance towards establishing partnerships and addressing community issues. The department’s efforts in combining code enforcement, crime prevention and neighborhood officers have been a model for other agencies.

 MAJOR COMPONENTS REPORTING TO THE CEO

 There are three major components whose commanders report directly to the CEO:

The Field Services Bureau commanded by Captain Dana Watson, consists of the Patrol Division, the Traffic Unit and the Crime Analysis Unit.

The Support Services Bureau commanded by Captain Lawrence Horak, consists of the Communications Division, the Neighborhood Policing Division, the Administrative Services Division and the Professional Standards Division.

The Investigative Services Bureau commanded by Captain Michael Borrelli, consists of the Criminal Investigations Division and the Special Operations Division.

 CALEA / CFA ACCREDITATION DATES

Initial CALEA accreditation – November 1994.

First CALEA reaccreditation – November 1997.

Second CALEA reaccreditation – November 2000.

Third CALEA reaccreditation – March 2004.

Fourth CALEA reaccreditation – November 2006

 Initial CFA accreditation – May 1997.

First CFA reaccreditation – October 2000.

Second CFA reaccreditation – June 2004.

Third CFA reaccreditation – February 2007