$5K bonus spawning interest from law enforcement to relocate and work in Florida - WPEC
A proposed incentive for new law enforcement, to relocate and work in Florida despite vaccination status, is garnering new interest from potential recruits.
"I know in Tampa, I spoke to one of our presidents there, and they’ve hired almost 20-30 New York police officers just recently," said Steadman Stahl, the President of the South Florida Police Benevolent Association.
Stahl tells CBS12 News since the governor proposed $5,000 relation bonuses they've seen a slew of inquiries from law enforcement nationwide, and this is even before the bonus proposal is approved.
The proposal will go before state lawmakers in mid-January.
"He’s talking about making it retroactive," Stahl said.
According to a spokesperson for Boca Raton PD, they have seen a spike in job applicants over the last year, but say it could be due to many factors.
Meanwhile, in New York a court rejected an emergency order, filed by the city's police Benevolent Association, to halt the vaccine mandate. Now thousands of city employees are on unpaid leave.
As more and more law enforcement officers nationwide walk off the job, Stahl says that's only going to further benefit Florida.
According to Stahl, putting new recruits through the law enforcement academy can cost upwards of $100,000. The program is up to 22-weeks of training and 16-weeks of field training. But recruiting an officer or deputy that's already trained is far cheaper for departments that sometimes pick up the tab to pay for the state certification.
If you are already coming in from another state, and you are a certified law enforcement officer, there’s a special course for them," Stahl told CBS12 News. "Where they learn more about our state laws, state rules, its an accelerated process, and they are put out on the street much quicker.
According to the governor's office, if the bonus is approved by state lawmakers, it would be part of the budget for the following fiscal year.
Statement from the governor's office:
Law enforcement personnel from other states write to our office frequently, not only to inquire about the bonuses, but more generally to express interest in moving to Florida. The biggest issue we hear about is that they feel under-appreciated in certain places, where “defund the police” became a politically popular slogan and where they don’t feel support from local elected officials.
source: https://cbs12.com/news/local/5k-bonus-spawning-interest-from-law-enforcement-to-relocate-and-work-in-florida
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