👤 Who: Governor Ron DeSantis and new Florida law enforcement recruits
💰 What: Announcement of more than 9,400 $5,000 recruitment bonuses awarded
📅 When: October 2025
📍 Where: Panama City, Florida, with officers from Bay, Franklin, Gulf, and Walton counties
🎯 Why: To attract and retain law enforcement officers and strengthen support for policing in Florida
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced Monday that the state has awarded more than 9,400 law enforcement officers $5,000 recruitment bonuses since launching the Florida Law Enforcement Recruitment Bonus Payment Program in 2022.
At an event in Panama City, DeSantis presented checks to recruits from Bay, Franklin, Gulf, and Walton counties, highlighting the state’s continued push to recruit, reward, and retain law enforcement officers. The event marked the latest milestone in a statewide effort to make Florida what the administration calls “the most law-and-order state in the nation.”
“Today in Panama City, we welcomed new law enforcement recruits from Bay, Franklin, Gulf, and Walton counties and awarded them $5,000 recruitment bonuses,” DeSantis said. “Many new officers across the state moved to Florida from soft-on-crime jurisdictions, where prosecutors allow crime to run rampant and local politicians denigrate law enforcement. Here in Florida, law enforcement officers are supported and appreciated—and criminals are held accountable.”
The Florida Law Enforcement Recruitment Bonus Payment Program provides a one-time $5,000 payment—after taxes—to officers newly employed in the state. The goal is to make Florida a competitive destination for both in-state and out-of-state recruits by offering financial incentives, pay raises, and expanded benefits.
According to the Governor’s Office, an additional 734 bonuses were distributed in this most recent round of awards. Since the program’s launch, more than 1,900 officers from 49 states and two U.S. territories have relocated to Florida to join local or state law enforcement agencies. More than 600 of those officers came from states including California, Illinois, and New York.
The total amount distributed to date under the program exceeds $63 million.
In addition to the recruitment bonuses, the state’s Fiscal Year 2025–26 budget includes $49 million in pay increases for more than 16,200 state-sworn law enforcement officers. It also raises the minimum base salary to $60,000, with additional pay boosts for both new and veteran officers.
State officials say the effort extends beyond financial incentives. Florida has implemented several related initiatives, including expanded wellness programs for officers, tougher penalties for crimes committed against law enforcement, and the introduction of law enforcement education courses in high schools.
Another component, the Florida Law Enforcement Academy Scholarship Program, covers the cost of basic training for individuals seeking to enter the profession, removing what the state identified as a financial barrier to recruitment.
Supporters of the program argue it helps ensure agencies across Florida are staffed with qualified officers while signaling statewide support for law enforcement.
Recruits also gain access to additional benefits beyond the $5,000 bonus, including student loan forgiveness programs, home loan options, health and retirement benefits, and career advancement opportunities.
More information about the Florida Law Enforcement Recruitment Bonus Payment Program is available at FloridaJobs.org/Recognition-and-Recruitment.
Pro Communi Bono
St. Francis De Sales, Ora Pro Nobis!
Register or login with Mid Bay News and never get another pop up on our site!
