LAKELAND, Fla. (WFLA) — Gov. Ron DeSantis announced three plans to improve police recruitment in the state of Florida during a press conference at the Lakeland Police Department Tuesday morning.
The first program Desantis talked about would be a $5,000 signing bonus from the state for new Florida police officers.
“That may mean somebody who’s younger, who decides to go into law enforcement, who’s already a Florida resident, but it would also apply to someone moving from another state,” the governor said.
The other two proposals DeSantis announced dealt with removing the roadblocks for out-of-state officers wanting to move to Florida.
One proposal was to make the state certification exam free for relocating officers and having the state cover the cost for additional training up to $1,000 per officer, according to the governor,
The final proposal would have the state provide a scholarship program for recruits to attend law enforcement academy. The cost for private academies will be covered to the amount equal to the fees and tuition from a public institute.
DeSantis said these three programs, which will be pushed during the next legislative session, will capitalize on the perceived lack of support for law enforcement in other parts of the country and attract officers to Florida.