Governor Ron DeSantis Awards More Than $10 Million to More Than 1,500 New Law Enforcement Officers

LAND O’LAKES, Fla.— Today, Governor Ron DeSantis awarded more than $10 million in bonuses to 1,506 new law enforcement officers through the Florida Law Enforcement Recruitment Bonus Program, including

LAND O’LAKES, Fla.— Today, Governor Ron DeSantis awarded more than $10 million in bonuses to 1,506 new law enforcement officers through the Florida Law Enforcement Recruitment Bonus Program, including 38 new recruits in Pasco County. Since 2022, nearly 12,500 new law enforcement officers across the state have received bonuses through the program, totaling more than $83 million.“In 2022, while some cities were reaping the disastrous results of “defund the police” experiments, I signed landmark legislation to strengthen law enforcement recruitment and retention in Florida,” said Governor Ron DeSantis.  “In the four years since, we have awarded nearly 12,500 bonuses totaling more than $83 million to our law enforcement officers. We have also made record-breaking investments in officer pay, benefits, training, and protections for the men and women who put their lives on the line to protect the people of our state. We continue to build on this foundation to keep Florida the most law enforcement-friendly state in the country.”“Governor DeSantis has made Florida the national model for supporting law enforcement and the nearly 12,500 recruitment bonuses awarded since 2022 are a testament to the success of that commitment,” said Secretary of Commerce J. Alex Kelly. “Through a comprehensive commitment to the men and women who protect our communities—including investments in pay increases, expanded education opportunities and wellness benefits—Florida remains committed to our sworn officers and their families.”The program provides a one-time $5,000 bonus—after taxes—to newly recruited and employed officers as a show of appreciation and incentive for choosing to serve Florida. The bonuses are part of a broader initiative to solidify Florida’s position as the Nation’s law-and-order state.Under the Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget, the Governor secured $19.8 million in pay increases for sworn state law enforcement officers, $20 million for the Law Enforcement Recruitment Bonus Program, and $2.5 million in pay increases for state firefighters. In the Fiscal Year 2025-26 budget, state law enforcement officers saw a raise in the minimum base pay to $60,000 and significant raises for both entry-level and veteran officers—10% and 15% increases, respectively. The state has also expanded wellness resources, enhanced penalties for crimes against officers, introduced law enforcement education programs in high schools, and launched the Florida Law Enforcement Academy Scholarship Program to cover training costs for new recruits.In addition to a $5,000 recruitment bonus, benefits of becoming a Florida law enforcement officer include financial stability, upward mobility, excellent health and retirement benefits, student loan forgiveness programs, home loan programs, and more.For more information about the Florida Law Enforcement Recruitment Bonus Payment, visit FloridaJobs.org/Recognition-and-Recruitment.