Publication date: September 8, 2021
Written by: Stefani Buhajla
Americans are moving to Florida by the hundreds of thousands, and for good reason. The Center for Excellence in Polling (CEP) recently polled Florida voters on important issues facing the state, and most agree that the Sunshine State is a great location to live, work, and raise a family (77%). They also agree that the people and places that make Florida so attractive need to be protected.
Floridians know that the resource officers serving in their children’s schools, the game wardens protecting the Everglades, and the police officers keeping their streets safe must have manpower to be successful. Law enforcement officers also need downtime, and that can be tough to get when an individual officer may be the only one available to walk the beat each day. Burnout in times of labor shortages is a problem in any sector—in law enforcement, it’s a public safety issue.
An overwhelming majority say that maintaining public safety and lowering crime rates starts with recruiting enough good people to wear the badge (87%).
Governor Ron DeSantis has taken numerous steps to show support for law enforcement while other leaders attempt to debase and defund those in uniform. His newest proposals aim to recruit high-quality officers to law enforcement positions in Florida, and most voters support new programs to help alleviate law enforcement staffing shortages (55%).
One new program proposes to offer full scholarships to qualified Florida applicants for law enforcement training programs at state colleges and technical schools. A majority of voters (58%)—including more than half of Democrats (54%) and Independents (58%)—support this. And an even larger majority support expanding opportunities for Florida students to pay for college by offering more work-study opportunities in law enforcement (70%).
Gov. DeSantis’s policy initiatives aim to make Florida a welcoming place for police officers and other law enforcement professionals. Voters support waiving the exam fee for Florida residents applying to become a member of law enforcement (53%).
Supporting law enforcement officers—and making sure communities have the resources and manpower they need—will help Florida secure its place as one of the best states to visit and to call home.