Jason Delgado
The Florida Police Chiefs Association (FPCA) endorsed Gov. Ron DeSantis’ re-election bid Wednesday at a campaign event in Tallahassee.
The endorsement comes after a years-long effort by DeSantis to appeal to Florida’s law enforcement community.
Speaking alongside DeSantis and Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez, FPCA President Stephan Dembinsky described DeSantis as an ally of cops with a proven record of prioritizing police.
He lauded DeSantis’ efforts to attract more candidates into Florida’s policing community.
He also credited DeSantis’ rollout of the anti-riot bill (HB 1), a proposal that created laws cracking down on rioters and violent demonstrators in Florida.
Dembinsky also serves as the director of the Daytona Beach Shores Public Safety Department.
“Under this administration, violent and disorderly assembly, destroying property and harassing and threatening citizens is unacceptable,” Dembinsky told attendees. “Under his leadership, there is zero-tolerance for those who would attack the brave men and women who serve and safeguard our communities.”
The FPCA is the nation’s third-largest police chiefs’ association. News of the endorsement comes a day after 58 of Florida’s 67 sheriffs endorsed DeSantis.
DeSantis is pushing a slew of proposals that would jump-start law enforcement recruitment efforts in Florida.
Among other initiatives, the Republican Governor is asking lawmakers to bump the pay of state law enforcement officers, provide another round of bonuses to current cops and cover training expenses for cops who transfer into Florida from elsewhere.
DeSantis touted the proposal as the “best law enforcement package” in the nation. The bill also would provide police academy scholarships to new candidates.
“We’re gonna make sure that we’re doing what we need to do to keep our community safe… When you have crime running rampant in these places, the entire quality of life goes down the toilet,” DeSantis said of cities that do not support police.
A potential GOP presidential contender, DeSantis has garnered national media attention by fashioning Florida as a state where law and order reigns supreme.
At the event, he lambasted cities that do not support cops and those that slash police budgets.
He blasted local leaders and prosecutors in San Francisco, who he says have fostered a “culture of lawlessness.”
San Francisco Mayor London Breed cut the local police budget by $120 million in 2020, per the New York Post.
“America’s streets in some cases have been ravaged with crime, communities have been decimated… We will not stand for that because we stand firm on the side of law and order,” Nuñez said.
Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist and state Sen. Annette Taddeo are among the Democratic candidates seeking to oust DeSantis in the upcoming gubernatorial election.
One comment
Charles
January 26, 2022 at 1:42 pm
Of course the FPCA endorsement was for DeSantis.
It’s the right choice for Florida at the right time. End the “wokeness” far left crap now.
Time to punish the media who don’t report “ALL” sides of the issues. Time to rid Florida yellow journalism.
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