by Bethany Blankley
The state of Florida ramped up its law enforcement recruitment efforts nationwide through a job fair held Thursday in all 50 states to encourage more law enforcement officers to relocate to the state.
Expanding on an invitation from Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2021 to law enforcement officers in other states to relocate to a state where he said they would be appreciated, Attorney General Ashley Moody, the Florida Sheriffs Association (FSA) and the Florida Police Chiefs Association (FPCA) are sponsoring the new national law enforcement recruitment effort.
The recruitment website states, “Be a Florida Hero! Get a job as a police officer or deputy sheriff in the most law enforcement friendly state in the nation. The Virtual Job Fair is for applicants from in-state and across the country.”
“Florida is the most pro-law enforcement state in the nation, and I am honored to help our great sheriffs and police chiefs recruit qualified officers from across the country,” Moody said at a news conference at the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday. “Word is certainly spreading that in Florida, we back the blue, we uphold the rule of law and do all that we can to protect our residents and visitors. I am excited to help ramp up our recruitment efforts to help ensure that Florida remains the best state in the nation.”
FSA President and Hernando County Sheriff Al Nienhuis said, “When we say that Florida is the most law enforcement-friendly state in our nation, we mean it. From bonus payments, training incentives, home purchasing opportunities and working for communities that truly appreciate your mission, Florida has it all. Now is a great time to join our law enforcement community. There are countless opportunities depending on your passions and skills. Being a hero and serving your community is an honor unlike any other.”
They held the event one year after DeSantis launched Florida’s Law Enforcement Recruitment Bonus Program. Through it, Florida has awarded over 1,750 bonuses to newly employed law enforcement recruits from 48 states. At least 530 of them relocated from out of state, with 200 coming from New York, California, Texas and Pennsylvania.
When announcing the program’s success, DeSantis said, “Florida is first in the nation in law enforcement recruitment because of our focus on back-the-blue initiatives that make our law enforcement officers feel supported by their communities. In Florida, we know the invaluable service that law enforcement professionals provide our communities, and we’ve got their backs.”
DeSantis’ fiscal 2023-2024 budget allocates $30 million to continue funding the recruitment bonus program, a $10 million increase from the previous budget.
The recruitment program includes $5,000 signing bonuses for every recruit, $1,000 towards basic recruit training costs, up to $1,100 for equivalency training costs for some out-of-state recruits who relocate to Florida, and a scholarship program for their children.
The virtual job fair also will highlight other benefits new recruits will receive including up to $25,000 in adoption benefits and up to $25,000 in down payment and closing costs assistance to eligible homebuyers through the Hometown Heroes Housing Program, which launched last June 1.
The legislature allocated $100 million to the program to provide frontline workers in over 100 eligible professions with down payment and closing cost assistance to help purchase a primary residence in the communities where they work. Those interested in applying can do so online.
New recruits who are veterans or have associate degrees or higher are also exempt from basic prerequisites through the recruitment program.
Law enforcement officers coming from most states will also earn more in Florida because it has no state income tax. New recruits say the warmer weather and support from the local communities they serve contributed to their decision to relocate to Florida.
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Bethany Blankley is a contributor to The Center Square.
Photo “Ashley Moody” by Ashley Moody. Background Photo “Police” by Darya Sannikova.
