(The Center Square) – Salary increases for Florida law enforcement officers and firefighters costing $118.3 million annually are being sought in appropriation by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Entry-level officers would receive a 20% salary hike, while veteran officers and firefighters would receive 25%. There are about 4,700 sworn law enforcement officers, such as state troopers, and 730 firefighters.
“My Focus on Fiscal Responsibility Budget will build on this foundation by providing massive pay raises for entry-level and veteran sworn law enforcement officers, as well as firefighters,” DeSantis said at a news conference in Ponte Vedra Beach. “We value their sacrifices and all the work they do every day to keep our communities safe. It won’t be the biggest lift in the world because Florida is in such good fiscal health.
“We want to show our young people that law enforcement can be a viable career.”
Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass said that the salary increases were needed to both help first responder families and help with recruitment and retention efforts. Each have dipped in recent years, he said.
DeSantis and the Legislature have prioritized in recent years with new legislation designed to make Florida what DeSantis calls “a law and order state.”
“Not only did we reject the ‘defund the police’ movement, when that was raging during the BLM riots of 2020, we signed legislation in Florida prohibiting local governments from defunding their police forces,” DeSantis said. “We’re not going to let asinine policies take hold in Florida whether it’s at the state or local level.”
In 2022, the Legislature passed House Bill 3 that created a bonus program to help lure law enforcement officers to the Florida Highway Patrol and other law enforcement agencies.
In the last three years, lawmakers have appropriated $321 million for $1,000 first responder bonuses. DeSantis and legislators also created a program to provide $5,000 bonuses for law enforcement officers recruited from out of state
Lawmakers this past session passed Senate Bill 184, the so-called halo bill, that prevents citizens from approaching and harassing police officers performing official duties.
The Legislature will begin its regular session March 4.