New Florida law aims to recruit law enforcement officers

Florida – Under a bill signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday, Florida will provide $5,000 bonuses among other incentives to recruit new in-state law enforcement officers and current out-of-state officers.

The new law will also provide scholarships to cover tuition, fees, and up to $1,000 in expenses for trainees in a law enforcement academy, as well as $1,000 in training costs for officers who relocate to Florida.

The new law will also raise the base salary for every sheriff by $5,000 and make vouchers available so officers’ children can attend private school.

Passing unanimously in the Senate and with only three no votes in the House, the legislation had vast bipartisan support.

“There’s a lot of great stuff in here,” DeSantis said before signing the bill. “I don’t think there’s any place in the country that is doing as much for law enforcement as we are doing with this bill here today.”