Law enforcement recruitment package hits Gov. DeSantis’ desk

Lawmakers have formally delivered Gov. Ron DeSantis laws to bolstering officer recruitment and retention and solidify Florida as essentially the most “regulation enforcement-friendly state.”

The invoice (HB 3), handed 114-3 within the Home and unanimously within the Senate, would supply recruits a bundle of perks. Amongst them is a one-time $5,000 bonus for first-time officers and a $1,000 reimbursement program for out-of-state officers who relocate to Florida. It could additionally bump the bottom pay for county sheriffs by $5,000.

DeSantis — an early 2024 presidential contender — floated the law enforcement recruitment package in September, decrying the “defund the police” motion. The Senate didn’t draft an accompanying model of the Home invoice however included its regulation enforcement priorities inside its price range proposal.

The aim, he informed reporters then, is to take away skilled limitations and appeal to out-of-state officers into Florida.

The supply, made Thursday, comes the identical day DeSantis and Chief Monetary Officer Jimmy Patronis made two public appearances to roll out $1,000 first responder bonuses for the second yr in a row. The bonuses come as a thanks to regulation enforcement officers, emergency medical technicians, firefighter and paramedics for his or her work through the COVID-19 pandemic.

The recruitment invoice’s passage got here after lawmakers accepted an amendment by Clearwater Republican Sen. Ed Hooper, which empowers sheriffs to regulate their price range with out the blessing of county commissioners. St. Petersburg Republican Sen. Jeff Brandes and a number of other Democrats unsuccessfully fought against it, saying the modification gives sheriffs unmatched, unchecked energy.

The invoice additionally requires the creation of a police scholarship program. The Florida Regulation Enforcement Academy Scholarship would cowl as much as $1,000 of tuition, charges and different police academy-related bills.

It additional gives personal faculty scholarships to the youngsters of cops and permits colleges to supply school credit to cops primarily based on their coaching and expertise.

DeSantis has till April 15 to behave on the invoice. If it turns into regulation, the measure would take impact July 1.

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Jason Delgado and Renzo Downey contributed to this report.

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