Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and the State of Florida announced that the Law Enforcement Recruitment Bonus Program has attracted more than 3,350 officers from all 50 states and two U.S. territories. 915 officers have moved to Florida and accepted the $5,000 bonus, including 47 from Illinois alone.
Gov. DeSantis stated that it is the State’s “back the blue” policies that have led officers to either leave their home state or entice Floridians to join the force.
“With a national lack of support for the important work law enforcement officers do daily, Florida has stood up for what is right,” said Gov. DeSantis. “Our back the blue policies have brought officers from all 50 states and two US territories to Florida. We will continue to support law and order and make investments in the people that keep our communities safe.”
Moreover, FloridaCommerce Secretary J. Alex Kelly believes that because other states have threatened to “defund the police,” it has caused officers to flee their home states.
“Under Governor Ron DeSantis’ leadership, 915 people from across the nation have relocated to Florida to be law enforcement officers in our great state,” said Secretary Kelly. “When states threaten to defund their police, they not only put their communities in danger but also the very lives of those who work so hard to protect them — I am proud that many have moved to Florida to pursue their careers because they know they will be supported.”
According to the Governor’s Office press release, the program has awarded $22.5 million in bonuses. Other than the bonus, the press release boasted Florida Law Enforcement’s multitude of programs for its officers, including “financial stability, upward mobility, excellent health and retirement benefits, student loan forgiveness programs, home loan programs, and more.”
The State of Florida has also achieved a 50-year low crime rate.
In April, Gov. DeSantis and the program announced that 1,750 bonuses were given out to law enforcement officers. According to the administration at the time, they recruited and provided bonuses to 530 officers from 48 states. More than 200 of those officers came from California, Texas, New York, and Pennsylvania.
The Fiscal Year’s 2023-2024 budget for the program jumped from $20 million to $30 million.
