The year was 2009. Barack Obama was inaugurated. The first Android phone was released. Bitcoin was introduced and Avatar was the winner at the box office. It was also the year that the Florida Deputy Sheriffs Association was launched with the goal of providing needed services to the brave men and women who serve their communities through our 67 sheriffs’ offices.
This year we celebrate our 15 anniversary, achieving those original goals and accomplishing so much more. At the recent FSA Winter Sheriff’s Conference, I had the privilege of updating the sheriffs on just how far we have come. As of this writing, we have 24,283 members from every county, and in 2023 alone we paid out $1,579,277 in direct member benefits. This includes $325,874 in legal benefit expenses and $791,566 through Lend A Hand Fund disbursements in $1,000 checks and online fundraisers.
That is pretty incredible.
Our work has also included taking a proactive position on important legislative issues. This year, we are focusing on two.
We are working to fund a statewide law enforcement apprenticeship program already certified by the Florida Department of Education. This program will help us recruit, select, train, certify and retain Florida deputies who lack the funds to attend a certified law enforcement academy within the state.
This effort, while statewide, will focus primarily on fiscally constrained counties and areas of great need with a goal of building a viable workforce for law enforcement in the state of Florida.
We are also working to establish a grant program for sheriffs’ offices and police departments to request funding for the mental health, wellness, and support services for first responders. A total of $10 million in recurring funds will be available for this grant program.
Thank you for 15 great years. The best is yet to come!
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