Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has spent more than $13.5 million on the flagship law enforcement relocation program. This program was originally designed and marketed for police officers who lost their jobs due to their own refusal of the COVID-19 vaccine. The program also allows for a one-time bonus of $5,000 for new recruits. However, this program is recruiting officers with violent and even criminal backgrounds. These crimes include kidnapping and even murder. Ironically, Florida's Attorney General Ashley Moody stated last year in response to the program, “this will go a long way to ensuring we can have the best and
the brightest filling our law enforcement ranks."
Amongst the 600 officers that relocated to Florida, an overwhelming number of them either came with prior complaints against them or have since accrued criminal charges. One officer was charged with murdering her husband, another officer was fired from their former police department for domestic battery and kidnapping. Additionally, an officer that was recruited into this program was accused of sexually propositioning a minor. This officer has been identified as Daniel Melbin; a former New York police department (NYPD) officer who has since been recruited to the Palm Beach police department. This same officer was a part of a $160,000 settlement by the NYPD for violence at a 2020 protest centered around the deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. Melbin and other officers were accused of targeting and beating Black males during this protest.
Over 2,000 officers have since been relocated throughout Florida's police departments. Many of these officers have multiple formal complaints which include abuse of authority and overuse of physical force. It goes without saying that Florida is doing the complete opposite of hiring the best and brightest. They are actively going out of their way to hire officers with violent and even criminal backgrounds.
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