A review of state documents shows that Florida’s law enforcement relocation program has recruited to state agencies a significant count of nearly 600 police officers with documented histories of excessive violence or significant criminal histories. The program was initially launched with a mission to recruit officers around the country who felt sidelined by other jurisdictions’ Covid-19 vaccination policies, Richard Luscombe reports for The Guardian.
Those recruited and awarded a bonus through the program include Justin Burgos, a former NYPD deputy charged with reckless endangerment in 2021 for driving his car into a crowd and hitting multiple protestors with his car at a police accountability protest, a trainee deputy charged with murdering her husband, and an officer previously fired when charged with domestic battery and kidnapping.
The analysis, which reviewed FOIA-responsive documents listing 1,700 officers who received over $8.8 million in incentives, was conducted by reporters at the Daily Dot. Earlier this month, Florida Gov. Ron Desantis announced that the program has since spent more than $13.5 on the program, recruiting more than 2,000 officers.
from The Crime Report https://ift.tt/aGRdqJ9
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