The City of Hollywood is an Atlantic Ocean coastal city of over 133,000 year round residents. Approximately 100,000 part time residents also maintain homes in the city during the 6-month long vacation “season”. Located in Broward County between Fort Lauderdale and Miami, Hollywood has expanded to the maximum of its geographic limits of about 30 square miles. This includes over three miles of pristine beach which is a major attraction to the over 3 million tourists who visit Hollywood each year.
Hollywood is approximately the same geographic and population size as its northern neighbor in Fort Lauderdale. The twin cities share the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport and Port Everglades. Port Everglades is one of the largest ports on the eastern seaboard and the second busiest cruise port in the world. Nicknamed “The Diamond of the Gold Coast”, Hollywood was identified by Money Magazine as a diverse city that will most likely represent the cultural and racial demographics of a major city in the new millennium.
Hollywood has Commission/Manager form of government in which the City Manager reports directly to the elected City Commission. The City Manager appointed all department heads, including the Chief of Police who served under an employment contract.
At the time of Chief Stone’s tenure, the Hollywood Police Department was one of the largest police departments in the State of Florida with an authorized strength of 346 sworn officers and 259 civilian personnel. The total authorized strength was 605.
The department answered approximately 140,000 citizens calls for service each year. After undergoing a major police department reorganization to the “Community Policing Philosophy” in 1996, the city boasted one of the lowest crime rates in the region, recording year-to-year index crime decreases in 1996, 1997, and 1998.
Under Chief Stone, the Hollywood Police Department was divided into five divisions commanded by a Police Major. Each division was further divided into sections, for a total of 15 specialized units under individual command of a Police Lieutenant or civilian equivalent. The command staff was completed by the addition of a Deputy Chief of Police who had direct oversight of the Administrative Division. All command staff positions of Major or higher were appointed by the Chief of Police.
The Hollywood Police Department budget exceeded 36 million dollars and was administered by the Police Chief. The chief was also responsible for administering the multi-million dollar “Narcotics Seizure Fund”.
The Chief of Police was responsible for all law enforcement operations within the City of Hollywood and its intercoastal waterways. Jurisdiction also extended to the 3-mile limit into the Atlantic Ocean. These operations included maintenance of a Marine Patrol Unit, Communications Center, Firearms Training Range for live fire and computer simulations and a regional detention facility.
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