Latest news with #FloridaSheriff'sAssociation
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
VOTE: Local police, fire agencies competing for best vehicle graphics in Florida
Local first responders are asking for the public's help in securing statewide bragging rights. The Florida Sheriff's Association has launched its 2025 Vehicle Graphics Contest, which is meant to decide which agency has the most eye-catching car or truck. Northeast Florida has two entries in the contest. The first is Clay County Fire Rescue's camouflage-patterned Engine 25 (pictured above), which is stationed at Camp Blanding. The Fernandina Beach Police Department is representing the city's picturesque ocean views on its own entry: The public is invited to vote for their favorite entry once per day through June 4. You can vote online by clicking here. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
Miami Herald
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
DeSantis said every sheriff has a Hope Florida expert. That's news to some sheriffs
Gov. Ron DeSantis and first lady Casey DeSantis led a news conference in Tallahassee on April 1 to announce that trained Hope Florida liaisons were in every sheriff's office. The DeSantises, flanked by uniformed sheriffs and deputies in the state Capitol, touted the liaisons as dedicated conduits between the program and law enforcement. The governor said each one 'serves as a trained expert in Hope Florida' who can educate others 'on the philosophy and functions' of the first lady's signature initiative. 'To have cooperation from all 67 counties across the state of Florida is really special,' Casey DeSantis told reporters. But 13 sheriff's offices — including some of Florida's largest agencies — told the Tampa Bay Times that they have no such experts. When asked about their work with Hope Florida, the agencies said they'd had little interaction beyond providing a contact name after they were asked to do so by the Florida Sheriff's Association. 'We're not actively engaged in anything with Hope Florida,' Pinellas Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said when asked last week. The discrepancies come as lawmakers have recently begun to question the scope and effectiveness of the program's work. The Hope Florida initiative, announced by the first lady in 2021, aims to get people in need off government services and connected with community resources like charities and religious groups. DeSantis Deputy Press Secretary Molly Best said that liaisons 'have been identified' in each sheriff's agency and training 'is well underway.' At least three sheriff's offices that responded to the Times' inquiry — in Brevard, Volusia and Pasco — say they have staff trained on understanding Hope Florida and how to work with the program. Best referred questions to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. A spokesperson there said video trainings are being produced and materials are being shared with police agencies and sheriff's offices. 'We are working our way through each of Florida's sheriff's agencies,' spokesperson Gatlin Nennstiel told the Times in an email nearly a month after the DeSantises' announcement, adding that trainings are being held the first Friday of each month. He didn't say when the monthly sessions started. Several sheriff's agencies said they weren't aware of any ongoing trainings and hadn't received materials. Two said the Florida Sheriff's Association contacted them this week about joining a training on Friday morning, days after a Times reporter sent questions to law enforcement around the state. A spokesperson for the Orange County Sheriff's Office said in a statement this week that the agency could not find anyone internally with information about the program and has 'no indication that anyone has reached out to us yet about this.' The Hope Florida program has come under scrutiny in recent months after Gov. DeSantis pushed to have an Office of Hope Florida enshrined within the governor's office. Lawmakers began asking questions about the program, particularly related to $10 million that the state steered to a separate charity created to support Hope Florida. Herald/Times reporters revealed the $10 million was part of a settlement with a state Medicaid contractor. The Hope Florida Foundation gave the money to two nonprofit groups. Those groups then gave $8.5 million to a political committee overseen by DeSantis' then-chief of staff, James Uthmeier. As lawmakers mulled the program, the Florida Sheriff's Association on March 19 organized a virtual meeting for sheriff's offices to hear about Hope Florida, records show. Several sheriff agencies said the meeting, which included representatives from the governor's office, wasn't a training. Nennstiel disagreed, saying that it was a training led by the Florida Department of Children and Families. During the meeting, each sheriff's office was asked to provide a future point of contact for the initiative. Records obtained by the Times show that the association shared a list of those Hope Florida contacts with sheriffs' agencies on March 27, writing that the program would 'send communications or call from time to time.' Five days later, the DeSantises announced that there were trained liaisons in every sheriff's office. At the news conference, the governor pointed out that Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell, president of the Florida Sheriff's Association, was there in support. But more than three weeks later, a spokesperson for the Charlotte County Sheriff said the agency had a liaison appointed in March but hasn't been contacted. The spokesperson added that the agency is 'anxiously awaiting further direction from Hope as it sounds like a great program.' Captain Chris Simms at the Alachua County Sheriff's Office said in an email to the Times that he has not received any training or gotten other information since he was made a point of contact. Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Teri Barbera, when reached by phone April 25, initially said she wasn't aware of Hope Florida or what it does. After speaking with the office's point of contact, Barbera said the agency 'has not heard from anybody at Hope Florida yet.' A spokesperson for the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office on April 25 said the initiative 'is still in the early phases of development.' Nennstiel referred the Times to sheriff's offices in Indian River, Brevard, Volusia, St. Lucie and Levy counties. A Volusia County sheriff spokesperson said the agency has been working with Hope Florida since 2023 to help connect 74 families to food, clothing, toiletries, gas cards, bus passes, baby supplies, temporary housing, substance use services and more. The agency said Hope Florida has the records of the referrals. A Brevard County Sheriff's spokesperson said in an email that the agency has a Hope Florida liaison who 'is performing those roles described in the Governor's Press Release.' The spokesperson did not answer follow-up questions about training. The Levy County Sheriff's Office did not respond. The Pasco County Sheriff's Office also said it's been working with Hope Florida through the Department of Children and Families since 2023 to refer people to community services. The agency said the Department of Children and Families — which has spearheaded Hope Florida — would have records of the referrals. Two sheriff's agencies that Nennstiel referred the Times to — Indian River and St. Lucie — said last month that there were liaisons at their offices. But they weren't aware of any official training. And they said they wouldn't consider them experts.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
DeSantis said Hope Florida experts are in every sheriff's office. Are they?
Gov. Ron DeSantis and first lady Casey DeSantis led a news conference in Tallahassee on April 1 to announce that trained Hope Florida liaisons were in every sheriff's office. The DeSantises, flanked by uniformed sheriffs and deputies in the state Capitol, touted the liaisons as dedicated conduits between the program and law enforcement. The governor said each one 'serves as a trained expert in Hope Florida' who can educate others 'on the philosophy and functions' of the first lady's signature initiative. 'To have cooperation from all 67 counties across the state of Florida is really special,' Casey DeSantis told reporters. But thirteen sheriff's offices — including some of Florida's largest agencies — told the Tampa Bay Times that they have no such experts. When asked about their work with Hope Florida, the agencies said they'd had little interaction beyond providing a contact name after they were asked to do so by the Florida Sheriff's Association. 'We're not actively engaged in anything with Hope Florida,' Pinellas Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said when asked last week. The discrepancies come as lawmakers have recently begun to question the scope and effectiveness of the program's work. The Hope Florida initiative, announced by the first lady in 2021, aims to get people in need off government services and connected with community resources like charities and religious groups. DeSantis Deputy Press Secretary Molly Best said that liaisons 'have been identified' in each sheriff's agency and training 'is well underway.' At least three sheriff's offices that responded to the Times' inquiry — in Brevard, Volusia and Pasco — say they have staff trained on understanding Hope Florida and how to work with the program. Best referred questions to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. A spokesperson there said video trainings are being produced and materials are being shared with police agencies and sheriff's offices. 'We are working our way through each of Florida's sheriff's agencies,' spokesperson Gatlin Nennstiel told the Times in an email nearly a month after the DeSantises' announcement, adding that trainings are being held the first Friday of each month. He didn't say when the monthly sessions started. Several sheriff's agencies said they weren't aware of any ongoing trainings and hadn't received materials. Two said the Florida Sheriff's Association contacted them this week about joining a training on Friday morning, days after a Times reporter sent questions to law enforcement around the state. A spokesperson for the Orange County Sheriff's Office said in a statement this week that the agency could not find anyone internally with information about the program and has 'no indication that anyone has reached out to us yet about this.' The Hope Florida program has come under scrutiny in recent months after Gov. DeSantis pushed to have an Office of Hope Florida enshrined within the governor's office. Lawmakers began asking questions about the program, particularly related to $10 million that the state steered to a separate charity created to support Hope Florida. Times/Herald reporters revealed the $10 million was part of a settlement with a state Medicaid contractor. The Hope Florida Foundation gave the money to two nonprofit groups. Those groups then gave $8.5 million to a political committee overseen by DeSantis' then-chief of staff, James Uthmeier. As lawmakers mulled the program, the Florida Sheriff's Association on March 19 organized a virtual meeting for sheriff's offices to hear about Hope Florida, records show. Several sheriff agencies said the meeting, which included representatives from the governor's office, wasn't a training. Nennstiel disagreed, saying that it was a training led by the Florida Department of Children and Families. During the meeting, each sheriff's office was asked to provide a future point of contact for the initiative. Records obtained by the Times show that the association shared a list of those Hope Florida contacts with sheriffs' agencies on March 27, writing that the program would 'send communications or call from time to time.' Five days later, the DeSantises announced that there were trained liaisons in every sheriff's office. At the news conference, the governor pointed out that Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell, president of the Florida Sheriff's Association, was there in support. But more than three weeks later, a spokesperson for the Charlotte County Sheriff said the agency had a liaison appointed in March but hasn't been contacted. The spokesperson added that the agency is 'anxiously awaiting further direction from Hope as it sounds like a great program.' Captain Chris Simms at the Alachua County Sheriff's Office said in an email to the Times that he has not received any training or gotten other information since he was made a point of contact. Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Teri Barbera, when reached by phone April 25, initially said she wasn't aware of Hope Florida or what it does. After speaking with the office's point of contact, Barbera said the agency 'has not heard from anybody at Hope Florida yet.' A spokesperson for the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office on April 25 said the initiative 'is still in the early phases of development.' Nennstiel referred the Times to sheriff's offices in Indian River, Brevard, Volusia, St. Lucie and Levy counties. A Volusia County sheriff spokesperson said the agency has been working with Hope Florida since 2023 to help connect 74 families to food, clothing, toiletries, gas cards, bus passes, baby supplies, temporary housing, substance use services and more. The agency said Hope Florida has the records of the referrals. A Brevard County Sheriff's spokesperson said in an email that the agency has a Hope Florida liaison who 'is performing those roles described in the Governor's Press Release.' The spokesperson did not answer follow-up questions about training. The Levy County Sheriff's Office did not respond. The Pasco County Sheriff's Office also said it's been working with Hope Florida through the Department of Children and Families since 2023 to refer people to community services. The agency said the Department of Children and Families — which has spearheaded Hope Florida — would have records of the referrals. Two sheriff's agencies that Nennstiel referred the Times to — Indian River and St. Lucie — said last month that there were liaisons at their offices. But they weren't aware of any official training. And they said they wouldn't consider them experts.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida sheriffs' ICE agreements will lead to ‘street-level' immigration enforcement, DeSantis says
All 67 county sheriffs in Florida have now entered into agreements with federal authorities that will lead to 'street-level' immigration enforcement, Gov. Ron DeSantis said. DeSantis's announcement Wednesday evening at the Homestead Air Force Base in Miami-Dade County comes days after the Florida Sheriff's Association said every county jail in the state has entered into agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that will give local officers some immigration authority. Under the 287(g) program, ICE operates three different models that give local law enforcement the ability to act in some capacity as immigration officers: the Jail Enforcement Model, the Warrant Service Officer model and the Task Force Model. The last model is what each of Florida's county sheriffs have now agreed to as of Wednesday and is an arm of the program that DeSantis said was 'dormant' under former President Joe Biden's administration. The Task Force Model gives local law enforcement agencies the ability to 'enforce limited immigration authority with ICE oversight during their routine police duties,' according to ICE. The other two agreements give local law enforcement authority to act with immigration duties only inside jails. But there have previously been concerns with the Task Force Model, according to a January overview of 287(g) by the American Immigration Council. It was 'discontinued' in 2012 after ICE said other enforcements were a 'more efficient use of resources,' according to the overview. The nonprofit cited research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill that determined the Task Force Models in that state more than a decade ago 'were primarily used to target offenders who posed no threat to public safety or individuals with no criminal record.' The Task Force Model was, in part, discontinued over concerns about how it was impacting local police's community relations with immigrants, the American Immigration Council said. ICE's updated data as of Wednesday shows that the Task Force Model is the type of program with the fewest agreements, with only seven states that have them. Nationally, at least 239 law enforcement agencies have entered into agreements for one of the three models, the data updated Wednesday afternoon shows. The Broward Sheriff's Office since 2019 has had a 287(g) agreement with ICE but for the Warrant Service Officer program, which allows deputies to serve and execute warrants on immigrants held in the county's jail. Both the Broward and the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Offices will now operate the Warrant Service Officer program and Task Force Model. Florida is the only state nationwide where each county has agreements for that specific model under 287(g), DeSantis said. DeSantis was joined in Homestead by Department of Homeland Security Senior Counselor Keith Pearson, former sheriff of St. Lucie County, and Larry Keefe, executive director of the newly created State Board of Immigration Enforcement. At least a dozen other county sheriffs were in the audience. President Donald Trump's administration has been aggressively enforcing immigration policies since he took office in January to carry out his promised mass deportation, including ending Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans and Haitians, detaining migrants at Guantanamo Bay, freezing federal funding to NGOs 'that facilitate illegal immigration' and ramping up the military's involvement along the border. Homeland Security is citing a drastic increase in arrests over the last month, stating in a news release Wednesday that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has arrested more than 20,000 people since January, 'a 627% increase in monthly arrests.' Secretary Kristi Noem also announced Tuesday that DHS is creating a process for people in the country illegally to register themselves in an effort to 'compel them to leave the country voluntarily.' DeSantis has routinely touted the state as leading the way in cooperating with Trump's immigration crackdown nationally. DeSantis earlier this month signed into law broad immigration enforcement legislation. The New York Times reported that Trump's administration is gearing up to use military sites across the country to detain migrants, with Fort Bliss, near El Paso, Texas, serving as an early example. Asked if the Homestead Air Reserve Base possibly could be used, DeSantis said: '… If they ask us to supplement and we have the wherewithal to do it, my view is going to be we should do it. We should help.' _____
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
States fire back against 'sanctuary' resistance as they rally around Trump's deportation efforts
A number of states are stepping up to aid the Trump administration in its efforts to arrest and deport millions of illegal immigrants, with Republican states countering the pushback against the operation from "sanctuary" jurisdictions. The Florida Sheriff's Association announced last week that jails in all of Florida's 67 counties have now entered into 287(g) agreements, which originate from a Clinton-era immigration law and allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to delegate immigration functions to state and local law enforcement. Additionally, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced earlier this month that the Florida Highway Patrol, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and the Florida State Guard had also entered into agreements. Florida Sheriff Says Ice Partnership Only The Beginning In Illegal Migrant Crackdown "With the head of steam that President Trump has, being swept into office with this as the centerpiece of his agenda, now is the final time, final opportunity to end the illegal immigration crisis in this country once and for all, we need to be willing partners with the federal administration," he said at a press conference. ICE said the agreements allow state and local authorities to "to act as a force multiplier in the identification, arrest, and service of warrants and detainers on foreign-born individuals arrested on local criminal charges." Read On The Fox News App A number of state and local law enforcement agencies entered into 287(g) agreements during the first Trump administration, but there were no new additions during the Biden administration, which largely limited interior enforcement. President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January green-lighting new 287(g) agreements. The agreements come in three forms: a jail enforcement model to identify removal of immigrants with charges or convictions arrested by state or local law enforcement; a task force model that allows agencies to enforce immigration law during police duties; and a warrant service officer program that allows ICE to train agencies to execute warrants in their jails. ICE now says that as of this week, they have jail agreements with 60 law enforcement agencies in 16 states, warrant agreements with 80 law enforcement agencies in 12 states and task force agreements with 15 agencies in six states. While many of those agreements were signed in 2019 and 2020, agreements signed in 2025 include agencies from Florida, Idaho, Nevada, Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma, according to ICE's website. Florida Sheriff Asks Trump's Ice To Remove Biden-era 'Shackles' There are additional pending applications from local agencies in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Tennessee and Wyoming, according to ICE. Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach announced last week that his office and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation were entering into agreements that see agents receive ICE training. Click Here For More Immigration Coverage "All across Kansas, illegal aliens who are dangerous criminals or gang members are released back to the streets on a regular basis. That will end. This agreement will ensure that those criminals are deported," Kobach said. Meanwhile, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt announced agreements with Oklahoma's Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Narcotics and Bureau of Investigation. "Law enforcement can't do their jobs with one hand tied behind their back. By working directly with ICE, our law enforcement officers now have additional tools to keep dangerous criminals off our streets and protect Oklahomans," Stitt explained. "Oklahoma is proud to lead the way in strengthening border security from the state's side and enforcing the rule of law." The agreements show the willingness of authorities in states across the country to help the Trump administration in its promise to ramp up arrests and deportations of illegal immigrants. It counteracts the moves by "sanctuary" jurisdictions that limit or forbid local or state cooperation with ICE. The Trump administration has already started legal action against some of those jurisdictions, and has been pushing back against officials who are touting those article source: States fire back against 'sanctuary' resistance as they rally around Trump's deportation efforts
