Gov. DeSantis awards Marion County deputies $5K bonus in Florida's law enforcement recruitment program | FOX 35 Orlando
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Gov. DeSantis awards Marion County deputies $5K bonus in Florida's law enforcement recruitment program

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Published  April 2, 2025 10:58am EDT
Marion County
FOX 35 Orlando

DeSantis awards $5K recruitment bonus checks to Marion County deputies

Gov. Ron DeSantis awarded $5,000 recruitment bonuses to Marion County sheriff's deputies as part of Florida's Law Enforcement Recruitment Bonus program.

The Brief

    • Gov. Ron DeSantis personally delivered $5,000 checks to 12 of the Marion County Sheriff's Office's newest deputies on Wednesday.
    • The checks are part of the Florida Law Enforcement Recruitment Bonus Payment Program, which offers $5,000 after taxes to new recruits across the state. 
    • DeSantis announced that the state has reached a "new milestone," having awarded over 7,800 bonuses since the program's launch in 2022.

OCALA, Fla. - Gov. Ron DeSantis visited Central Florida on Wednesday, announcing that Florida has reached "a new milestone" in the state's law enforcement recruitment bonus program.

During a news conference at the Marion County Sheriff's Office in Ocala, the governor announced that more than 7,800 bonuses have been awarded to the state's law enforcement officers since the program's launch in 2022. 

What is the Florida Law Enforcement Recruitment Bonus Payment Program?

Several deputies from the Marion County Sheriff's Office received a bonus check as part of the Florida Law Enforcement Recruitment Bonus Payment Program, which provides $5,000 as a bonus after taxes to new law enforcement recruits across Florida.

DeSantis emphasized that the program benefits not only Florida sheriff’s departments, but police departments, and state agencies.

"Whether it's FDLE, Highway Patrol, you name it. We saw an opportunity that, if you're being treated poorly in San Francisco, or New York City or all these places, then you come to Florida, $5,000 to start," he said. "But then, more importantly than that, you'll be in a community that supports your mission."

‘Noble calling’

What they're saying:

DeSantis called the career choice a "noble calling" and one that should be rewarded. 

"But in Florida, we wanted to send a different message to say, ‘no, we will reward this career choice,'" DeSantis said. "If you decide to go into law enforcement, whether it's at a sheriff's department, police department, state, you're also eligible for the $5,000 bonus."

At least 12 newly recruited deputies from the Marion County Sheriff's Office received their bonus checks directly from DeSantis during the news conference. Around 700 more checks are being mailed to law enforcement officers across the state.

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The Source: This story was written based on information shared by Gov. Ron DeSantis during a news conference at the Marion County Sheriff's Office on April 2, 2025. 

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