Governor Ron DeSantis issued $5,000 bonus checks to 12 new deputies of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office during a visit to Ocala to speak about the state’s Law Enforcement Recruitment Bonus Program, which has awarded over $53,000,000 to new deputies and officers.
The governor was joined by Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods and the twelve check recipients during a press conference on Wednesday morning.
Governor DeSantis opened his remarks by explaining the thought process behind the Law Enforcement Recruitment Bonus Program, which gives $5,000 to all new recruits in any of Florida’s law enforcement agencies.
DeSantis cited the experiences of law enforcement representatives in several states and cities across the country, suggesting they were jeopardizing public safety with their treatment of those enlisted to protect the community.
During one visit he took to San Francisco wherein DeSantis saw “defecation” and “people using drugs” in the middle of the public, the governor says he was approached by San Francisco Police Department officers who thanked him for “fighting” on behalf of law enforcement.
“Everyone that I have spoken with has used this as a valuable tool to recruit good people in their agencies,” said DeSantis, highlighting the uphill battle that law enforcement fight when they are not backed by leadership.
“You can have great sheriff’s departments and police departments, but if you have leadership that is trying to undercut you, or in some cases even stab you in the back, like you see in some of these places, then it’s going to be really hard. It’s really a team effort,” said DeSantis.
To date, over 7,800 bonuses have been awarded through the program. On Wednesday, DeSantis indicated that at least 700 checks were in the mail and on their way to new law enforcement officers during this most recent batch.
Twelve of those new hires were present at Wednesday’s press conference with their employer, Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods, who echoed DeSantis’ sentiments.
“The recruitment bonus that my deputies will receive here today isn’t just a check. It’s a statement. It tells the men and women in uniform, that their choice to serve and protect matters,” said Woods.
“Bonuses like this, initiatives like this, is what helps us hire individuals. He’s absolutely correct. We send them all over this nation,” said Woods, suggesting his team “planted a flag” on the doorsteps of the New York City Police Department.
The sheriff said the checks represented Florida’s commitment to law enforcement.
“The state of Florida is a cut above any other state. It’s as simple as that, we are. The reason is, it’s because of the leadership we have. The leadership we have in a Governor, that recognizes the safety of his citizens in the entire state. The leadership in our legislation, in the House and the Senate,” said Woods. “Florida stands with law enforcement.”
After Woods completed his comments, the Governor invited Thomas Watson, a local deputy, to share his experience joining MCSO.
Watson, who was born and raised in Ocala and graduated from Vanguard High School, was an emergency medical technician for nine years in Leesburg. He explained the divine calling that led him to serve as a deputy.
“God put me here,” said Watson. “I was an EMT for nine years before this. I always wanted to serve my community. I worked for a retirement community down in Leesburg…I worked there for nine years, and throughout those nine years, I attempted to leave several times to a municipal fire department.”
Watson said that each time, he and his wife would pray that God show them a path forward through the fire department, “or shut the door.”
After the door was shut many times, Watson said he began to become depressed because he believed firefighting was his calling. He said he spoke with a friend, who immigrated to America, and learned that his friend had earned citizenship and fulfilled his own dream of being in law enforcement.
For months, Watson said he considered, joked, and even prayed about possibly starting a career in law enforcement. After three months of prayer, he asked his wife if she thought a career in law enforcement was what God wanted for him. The couple prayed together for three more months.
One day at work, after six months of prayer and contemplation, Watson said he was saying the following prayer:
“Lord, if this is the right path for me, tell my wife, and she’ll tell me.”
Watson said as soon as he ended his prayer, he got a text from his wife saying she knew of the dangers of the job and believed that he would be protected.
“She texted me, I don’t remember the exact text, but it was to the effect of ‘Honey, I know there are dangers with this job. You will be shot at, possibly killed, injured. People will hate you, disrespect you. But I have a peace from God that He’s going to be with you through the whole time.’ So in that moment, I could do nothing, but lift my hands to the Lord and worship him. And I submitted my application,” said Watson.
The deputy, and father, said that MCSO recruitment bonus made the transition that much easier, meeting his concerns with transitioning from a good job with good pay to a career in law enforcement.
“Even though it was a huge pay cut, I could see the light at the end of the tunnel and the beginning of prosperity. The academy was six months long. It was hard at times and seemed impossible. But my wife constantly prayed over me and blessed me,” said Watson.
Watson continued to explain his rationale behind the decision to join the sheriff’s office, crediting the community’s support and ending his speech with a scripture.
“My Lord Jesus Christ says in John 15:13, ‘Greater love hath no man than this, that a man may lay his life down for his friends.'”
After Watson’s remarks, DeSantis handed checks out to the deputies and took a few more questions before ending the press conference.
The Law Enforcement Recruitment Bonus was the first of its kind when it was launched in 2022. The program provides a one-time, post-tax bonus of $5,000 to newly employed officers and deputies.
To date, more than 1,700 law enforcement officers from 49 other states and two territories have relocated to Florida, with more than 500 coming from California, Illinois, and New York, according to a statement issued by the Florida Department of Commerce.