Gov. Ron DeSantis announced $5 million in recruitment bonuses to 744 Florida law enforcement officers in the state while speaking at a press conference in Naples this week.
The awards are part of the Florida Law Enforcement Recruitment Program, which has given out $67.9 million and more than 10,000 bonuses in an effort to support police officers in the state since 2022. Specifically, officers receive a one-time $5,000 bonus after taxes to newly relocated and employed officers as a show of gratitude for their service.
"Today in Naples, I was proud to announce a milestone for Florida's Law Enforcement Recruitment Bonus Program: more than 10,000 bonus payments of $5000 after-tax have now been distributed to law enforcement personnel across our state," DeSantis said. "Many of these new recruits have relocated to Florida from states where law enforcement has been defunded or demoralized by radical political agendas. We're fortunate to have them here, and Floridians are grateful for their service every day."
According to the governor's office, anti-police messaging from leaders in California, Illinois, and New York has helped fuel the surge in relocations.
The awards were also made possible by the 2025-26 state budget, which helped secure $49 million in pay increases for more than 16,200 state sworn law enforcement officers. The funds also helped raise the starting base pay for officers to $60,000, while giving 10% pay raises to entry-level cops and 15% raises to veteran officers.
"This milestone of more than 10,000 recruitment bonuses is a tremendous achievement for our state and the dedicated men and women who choose to protect our communities," Secretary of Commerce J. Alex Kelly said. "Thanks to Governor DeSantis' leadership, these bonuses not only help our new officers and their families get settled, but they also strengthen our neighborhoods, improve public safety, and support the long-term well-being of communities throughout Florida."
Gov. DeSantis handed out recruitment bonuses to 9,400 Florida Panhandle officers in October 2025.
