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Staff ReportsMay 2, 2018

FDLE corruption inspector Damien Kelly has been named director of the state’s new Office of Safe Schools, Education Commissioner Pam Stuart announced. The office was created in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas school safety act passed by lawmakers at the tail end of the 2018 Legislative Session. “We are thrilled for Special Agent Kelly to join our team,” Stuart said in a statement. […]

Jim RosicaApril 17, 2018

A janitor who cleaned Department of Revenue offices and was looking for “video games” has been charged with taking external hard drives from the desks of workers. The arrest was announced Tuesday by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Andru Rae’sion Reed, 21, was charged with ‘offenses against intellectual property’ and ‘offenses against users of computer […]

Mitch PerryFebruary 27, 2018

Attorney General candidate Jay Fant wants a second investigation, including convening a grand jury, into the local response to the Parkland school massacre. Even though Gov. Rick Scott has already tasked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to look into local law enforcement’s response to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, the Jacksonville Republican lawmaker is […]

Scott PowersFebruary 26, 2018

A set of three new proposed bills in the Florida House announced Monday seek to make significant changes in the state’s gun laws. Among the proposals: Raise the minimum age for buying a gun in Florida to 21, expand the three-day waiting period to cover the purchase of all firearms, ban “bump stocks,” and create […]

Mitch PerryFebruary 8, 2018

Some members of the Fourth Estate have had a field day with GOP gubernatorial candidate Adam Putnam, following the report that the current Agriculture Commissioner is seeking a rewrite of Florida’s concealed weapons law so that people can receive gun licenses even when criminal background checks are incomplete. Putnam’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services issues […]

Guest AuthorJanuary 23, 2018

I’m writing to voice my opposition to a measure now before the Constitutional Revision Commission: To amend the state constitution to establish the right of all abused, neglected and abandoned children to their own attorneys in dependency court. After more than 40 years in law enforcement — including 26 as the statewide coordinator of FDLE’s […]

Jim RosicaDecember 20, 2017

Update: Jack Latvala resigned from the Senate Wednesday afternoon. In a resignation letter to Senate President Joe Negron, Latvala wrote: “I have never intentionally dishonored my family, my constituents or the Florida Senate. “My political adversaries have latched onto this effort to rid our country of sexual harassment to try to rid the Florida Senate of […]

Mitch PerryDecember 14, 2017

It’s time to deal with privacy in the age of Alexa, Sen. Jeff Brandes says. The St. Petersburg Republican has filed legislation (SB 1256) to protect the expectation of privacy in the use of cell phones and other microphone-enabled household devices. The surge in sales of “smart speakers” like Amazon’s Echo, with its “Alexa” cloud-based voice service, […]

Jim RosicaOctober 11, 2017

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) is asking for an additional $29.3 million in the 2018-19 state budget to build a local office in Pensacola. An FDLE representative told a meeting of the Florida Cabinet Aides on Wednesday that the budget request was being moved from the Department of Management Services (DMS), the state’s real estate […]

Jim RosicaSeptember 28, 2017

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A House member has filed proposed legislation to add violence based on “political affiliation or beliefs” to the state’s list of hate crimes. Rep. Joe Gruters, a Sarasota Republican, first filed his 1-page bill Thursday. The bill is being redrafted to correct some technical errors and will be re-filed shortly, he said. The measure as filed (HB […]

Tag: Florida Department of Law Enforcement

Personnel note: Damien Kelly named director of Office of Safe Schools

Janitor charged in heist of Revenue Dep’t hard drives

Jay Fant wants second investigation of Broward Sheriff’s Department over Parkland shooting

New bills propose gun controls, school law enforcement frameworks, Sunshine exemptions

Adam Putnam: Media wrong on his gun license stance

Terry Thomas: Having children direct their own attorneys could put them in harm’s way

Attorney: Jack Latvala was blindsided by bribery allegation

Jeff Brandes wants privacy protection for Echo, Google Home

FDLE seeking $29M for new Pensacola regional office

Joe Gruters files ‘political’ hate crimes bill