St. Augustine, FL — Governor Ron DeSantis wants to increase penalties for those who harass law enforcement officers in the course of their duty, and also wants to ban civilian review boards that drive an anti-police agenda.
“I am proud to support the men and women of law enforcement throughout the state,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Today’s legislation will ensure law enforcement can do their jobs without the threat of harassment.”
At a press conference announcing the legislation Friday in St. Augustine, DeSantis was joined by Representative Wyman Duggan. “Florida has worked hard since 2018 to be the most law enforcement-friendly state in the nation,” said Representative Duggan. “We are no longer going to allow a civilian oversight/review process to be a vehicle for the persecution of individual officers.
DeSantis signed the following two bills into law:
SB 184:
- Prohibits the harassment of a police officer or first responder who is actively doing his or her job.
- This law pertains to any person who has received a verbal warning not to approach an officer and who approaches with the intent to interfere with their official duties, threaten with physical harm, or harass the officer.
- Under this bill, an individual who harasses a law enforcement officer in the line of duty will be charged with a second-degree misdemeanor.
HB 601:
- Prevents anti-police activists from carrying out extrajudicial investigations against law enforcement.
- Codifies the creation of “Civilian Oversight Boards” to ensure they are directed by a county sheriff or chief of police and are comprised of at least three to seven members, all of whom are appointed by the sheriff or chief of police.
- At least one member must be a retired law enforcement officer.
- Ensures that misconduct allegations will be investigated by those properly trained and equipped to handle such investigations, such as Internal Affairs Departments or the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission (CJSTC).
- Increases all county sheriffs’ base salaries by $5,000 for each population group.
Watch the full press conference below: