Florida Governor Ron DeSantis visited Panama City in Bay County, then traveled to Franklin, Gulf and Walton counties to welcome new law enforcement officers by awarding them $5,000 hiring bonuses.
Known as the Florida Law Enforcement Officer Recruitment Bonus Payment Program, more than 9,400 recruitment bonuses have been awarded to new police officers to date.
The governor launched the bonus program in 2022 as a way to sway police officers in other states, which are crime-tolerant jurisdictions where prosecutors allow crime to run rampant and local politicians blame law enforcement.
“Here in Florida, our law enforcement officers are supported and appreciated, and criminals are held accountable,” Governor DeSantis said.
The program, believed to be the first of its kind, provides newly hired officers with a one-time $5,000 bonus as a token of appreciation and incentive for choosing to work in Florida. In addition to the $5,000 hiring bonus, the state also offers Florida law enforcement officers benefits such as health benefits, retirement benefits, a student loan forgiveness program, and a mortgage program.
This latest bonus was awarded to police officers serving the Florida Panhandle region, with an additional 734 bonuses distributed to recruits across the state.
More than 1,900 law enforcement officers from 49 other states and two territories have relocated to Florida so far, with more than 600 coming from anti-police states such as California, Illinois and New York, the governor’s office said. Since its inception, the program has distributed more than $63 million.
Under the fiscal year 2025-26 budget, the governor secured $49 million in raises for more than 16,200 state sworn law enforcement officers, increasing the minimum base salary to $60,000 and providing significant raises for both new and veteran police officers. The state also expanded health resources, strengthened penalties for crimes against police officers, introduced law enforcement education programs in high schools, and launched the Florida Law Enforcement Academy Scholarship Program to help cover the cost of training new employees.
