Gov. Ron DeSantis signed five public safety bills into law June 16 at Winter Haven Police Department.
DeSantis continues to make the rounds signing legislation with a package of bills designed to increase penalties for violence against law enforcement officers and strengthen identification of criminals.
“We take pride in upholding the rule of law and having safe communities. It’s made a big difference in the lives of many, many people to be able to have strong public safety, to be able to raise their kids or retire in a safe environment,” DeSantis said. “The way you do that is to have strong policies at the state level that put the criminal on the defensive, and support victims and law abiding citizens.”
Identifying habitual offenders and gang members
Here’s a full list of the public safety bills DeSantis signed and what impact they’ll have:
Career offenders will also have to go in person to their local sheriff’s office to register their name, race, sex, height, weight, hair, eye color, fingerprints and palm prints, identifying tattoos, place of employment and home address.
“It’s basically updating the law, of reflecting the reality of how you would prove that in this digital information age,” DeSantis said.
Increasing penalties for violence against law enforcement
The last two bills signed by the governor increased penalties for those who act violently against law enforcement officers.
“An arrest or detention can be challenged under the legal system, but it should never, never be challenged with violence on the street,” Winter Haven Police Chief Vance Monroe said.
Monroe praised DeSantis for signing the two bills strengthening penalties for violence against officers, providing protection to his department and others across the state.
“These bills are not about placing officers above the law,” Monroe said. “They are about making clear (that) disagreements are resolved through the courts, not through violence, and repeated violent conduct should bring serious consequences.”
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: DeSantis signs 5 public safety bills into Florida law
Reporting by Sara-Megan Walsh, Lakeland Ledger / The Ledger
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Sara-Megan Walsh, Lakeland Ledger | USA TODAY Network
