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FLORIDA - Florida law enforcement agencies are seeing significant growth in new and transferring officers thanks to the state’s $5,000 recruitment bonus program.
Governor Ron DeSantis held a news conference Wednesday at the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office to highlight the thousands of officers who have received the bonus since the program’s launch.
The Florida Law Enforcement Recruitment Bonus Payment Program became law in April 2022.
It offers a one-time $5,000 signing bonus to officers who are either new to the profession in Florida or relocating from another state.
The program was created to help fill staffing shortages and strengthen law enforcement across the state.
“These bonuses apply to recruits starting their careers in Florida as well as experienced officers transferring from other states. We have welcomed recruits from 49 states and two U.S. territories,” DeSantis said.
He added that over 500 recruits have come from states such as New York, California, and Illinois, and roughly 2,000 were from out of state.
The news conference included Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister, 13th Judicial Circuit State Attorney Susan Lopez, and Florida’s newly appointed Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins.
Collins, a Republican state senator from Tampa, was appointed Tuesday to fill the vacancy left in February when former Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez became interim president of Florida International University.
The recruitment bonus program is part of Florida’s efforts to maintain law enforcement staffing levels and provide financial incentives for officers to relocate to or begin careers in the state.