Rick Scott Wants More Money for State Law Enforcement Officers

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At the close of this year’s legislative session, $12.7 million were allocated for a 5 percent pay raise in state law enforcement salaries out of the total $83 billion budget. There are nearly 4,000 state officers statewide.

The funds from this increase would allow state agencies throughout the state to retain officers and recruit additional personnel. For the last several years, these agencies have faced significant challenges with their high turnover rates of trained officers who leave to pursue more lucrative options offered at the local and municipal levels.

Leadership in the legislature is already chiming in on the proposal, which would be likely presented in the Governor’s budget recommendation for next year’s budget.

Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran said that Scott’s proposal would face the same process as all other requests, and has said that training new officers was already a hefty annual expense. The 5 percent increase passed this year, however, received overwhelming support in his chamber.