DeSantis to cops in Democratic states: Come to Florida to serve, protect and get respect

Florida is continuing to recruit law enforcement officers from out of state, including a new recruit from Chicago.

At the Florida Sheriffs Association Summer Conference this week, Attorney General Ashley Moody spoke about how new state law enforcement benefits and recruitment tools are being used to hire officers from out of state. She pointed to a new recruit from Chicago who moved to Florida and is now a Lee County Sheriff's Deputy.

He moved because of a new program created by Gov. Ron DeSantis offering incentives to police officers from blue states and cities to move to Florida.

“Deputy Raymond Arce heard our message while serving in Chicago and made the great decision to move here to be a Florida hero,” Moody said. “The nation is starting to realize that, in Florida, we back the blue and our leaders appreciate and support those who risk their safety in service to others."

Arce said he didn’t feel appreciated by the residents of Chicago or by the city’s leadership. He came across Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno speaking in a video on social media about “how great it is to be a deputy in Florida.” He heard DeSantis’s invitation, looked into it, and in March moved his family to Florida. He soon became one of the newest out-of-state recruits to the state’s more than 53,000 law enforcement officers.

“I needed a change," Arce said. "I started doing my research online and every time I’d be on social media or on TV, I’d always see Gov. DeSantis talking about how he appreciates his law enforcement and Attorney General Moody saying, ‘if you need somewhere to go, come to us, we appreciate our police.’ That was a big factor in my move.”

As of July 1, new law enforcement bonuses and recruitment tools are available as a result of a bill signed into law by \DeSantis, which he claims is the strongest law enforcement recruitment and support initiative in the U.S.

The Florida Law Enforcement Recruitment Bonus Program provides one-time bonus payments of up to $5,000 for new Florida law enforcement officers and officers relocating to Florida from out of state.

The new law created the Florida Law Enforcement Academy Scholarship Program, which covers tuition, fees and up to $1,000 of eligible education expenses for trainees in a law enforcement basic recruit training program. Certified officers who relocate to Florida may also receive a reimbursement of up to $1,000 for equivalency training costs.

When movements across the country began to defund police departments, DeSantis invited police officers to move to Florida offering incentives backed by the legislature and funded in the budget.

“In Florida, we back the blue,” DeSantis said. “While some states talk about defunding the police, we fund the police and then some because we respect the work they do to keep all of us safe.”

The new law also supports law enforcement officers’ dependent children, making them eligible to receive a Family Empowerment Scholarship to attend private schools. Law enforcement officers also receive financial support for adoption, including $10,000 per child, and $25,000 for special needs children.

Those in law enforcement may also qualify for the Hometown Heroes housing program, another initiative to help those serving be able to afford to live in the communities where they serve. The program has so far helped more than 843 frontline workers' families purchase their first home in Florida.

Moody has also launched several initiatives to support those in law enforcement, including Back the Blue, the Thin Line Tribute, Be A Hero Initiative, among others.