DeSantis signs legislation banning civilian review boards for officer complaints, guarding police from harassment

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis signed laws banning civilian review boards for officer complaints and protecting first responders from harassment and impedance on Friday.

“We’ve developed a track record in Florida of supporting law enforcement that is quite simply second to none,” DeSantis said during a press conference. “We understood how important it is to have safe communities and the way you do that is to support the people that are putting the uniform on and risking their lives to keep us safe.”

The governor pointed to how the state attracts law enforcement recruits and experienced officers alike.

He mentioned how other states like California, New York and Illinois have not cared for their law enforcement, instead favoring the defunding of police departments.

“We, several years ago, enacted a policy to block local governments at the municipal and county level from defunding the police,” he said. “We think it’s an insane policy.”

Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass expressed his support for DeSantis and everything the governor has done to support first responders.

He pointed to how the legislation that the governor was signing would significantly help law enforcement, as well as continue the message that Florida is a “common sense state.”

St. John County Sheriff Robert Hardwick also spoke in favor of the bills being signed and commended the legislature for their work.

“You continue to prove and set the standard that we live in the most law enforcement friendly state in the United Sates of American,” he said.

Reps. Wyman Duggan, R-Jacksonville, and Alex Rizo, R-Hialeah, mentioned their support for the governor and the direction that Florida was going in to protect law enforcement and, in turn, protect communities.

The governor signed the following pieces of legislation:

• HB 601: Bans civilian oversight agencies created by counties and municipalities to review law enforcement officer and correctional officer ethics complaints.
  • The legislation does however allow for sheriffs and municipal police departments to create and appoint members to their own citizen review boards to have a check on their policies and procedures. One appointed member of the board must be a retired law enforcement officer.
  • It also increases the base salaries of each sheriff by $5,000.
  • The legislation was brought forth by Rep. Wyman Duggan, R-Jacksonville, and Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill. It will go into effect on July 1.

• SB 184: Prohibits individuals from impeding, harassing or threatening first responders while they’re in the one of duty.
  • The bill allows for a second degree misdemeanor to be issued to any passerby who willfully ignores a first responders order for them to stand the required 25 feet away from the scene of the incident.
  • The legislation was sponsored by Sen. Bryan Avila, R-Hialeah Gardens, and Rep. Alex Rizo, R-Hialeah. It will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2025.