Florida continues to lure law enforcement officers from other states. Governor Ron DeSantis at the Marion County Sheriff's Office in Ocala, gives an update on his recruitment bonus program.
"We've reached a new milestone in our Florida Law Enforcement Recruitment Bonus program. We've now awarded over 7,800 bonuses through this program and that's really really significant."
The $5,000 bonuses (after taxes) go out to officers and deputies who relocate to Florida for work and to residents who get into law enforcement for the first time.
The governor says about 700 checks are in the mail and he brought 12 of them to the Marion Sheriff's Office for deputies who were on stage with him.
And the governor says he wants the Legislature to approve pay increases for both members of law enforcement and fire rescue.
"We have allocated in our recommendations pay increases for more than 4,700 state sworn law enforcement officers as well as 730 state firefighters."
Those raises would be for officers and firefighters working for state agencies.
Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said the bonus program doesn't just give his deputies extra money.
"It tells the men and women in uniform that their choice to serve and protect matters."
The program first launched in 2022.