OCALA, FL (352today.com) – More than a dozen sheriffs from around the state traveled to Ocala on Wednesday and flanked Florida’s Attorney General (AG) as she revealed the results of a new report on crime policy and how the Sunshine State compares to the rest of the nation.
AG Ashley Moody held a news conference at the Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) to release data from a study conducted by the Florida Sheriffs Association and the Florida Chamber of Commerce.
“While some jurisdictions have faltered due to damaging policy decisions, Florida remains steadfast in its commitment to securing prosperity and safety for its residents,” said Moody.
Moody says the report highlights the steps Florida has taken to strengthen its justice system over the past few years.
The report says “Florida is getting it right” and points to “six areas of bad policy” that plague communities in other states and refers to them as “ill-informed decisions” to:
- decriminalize crime
- defund police
- revolving jailhouse door
- refuse prosecution
- neglect juvenile accountability
- undermine law enforcement support
“Florida is the most pro-law enforcement state in the nation,” proclaimed Moody, repeating the phrase for emphasis.
“I believe this report is one of the first of its kind in the nation, and it shows why Florida is enacting these policies and why we’re focused on strenuously backing our Florida law enforcement,” stated Moody. “We identify these key areas, these key off-ramps of success. We know it’s not just related to crimes in the criminal justice system, but also loss of population, loss of tax revenue, and loss of vitality of a city.”
The report describes “off-ramps” as things that take communities off course, waste money and expose them danger.
“In Florida, we don’t lose sight of the fact that we are here to protect citizens and their rights. I think that has been lost by many executive leaders from the mayor on down throughout the nation,” said Moody.
The AG pointed to New York and California as examples where she believes poor policies are costing the states, claiming each has lost over $300 million in tax revenue while Florida has added $12 billion in revenue.
The report says Florida is the third largest state in the nation with approximately 23 million people and projected growth of 2.8 million more residents, 1.35 million new jobs, 40 million additional annual visitors, and approximately 2.5 million more drivers on its roads by 2030.
“Safe communities are paramount to ensure we can meet this growth,” the report says.
Moody added Florida is the number one state for business formations.
“It’s not by accident. It’s by design and making sure we’re staying on the road to success,” said Moody.
When a reporter asked about data that suggests Florida shares similar violent crime rates with Illinois, Moody replied, “Sounds to me like you’ve been listening to some of those narratives that are trying to push back on reality. You cannot argue that in these states where crime rates are increasing, and population is decreasing. People do not feel safe. Businesses are uprooting. I understand there are a lot of narratives out there which you have to cut through. Organized retail theft in these states is going up 60% in one year. You just can’t argue with that.”
To read the full report, click here.
You can watch the AG’s remarks on the MCSO’s Facebook page.