The Florida Police Chiefs Association announced Monday that it's endorsing Gov. Ron DeSantis for president over former President Donald Trump, who it supported in 2020.
"The Florida Police Chiefs Association is honored to fully endorse Gov. DeSantis for President of the United States of America," Florida Police Chiefs Association President Keith Touchberry said in a press release Monday. "From his commitment to safe communities and defending the rule of law to his unwavering support for the profession of law enforcement through better pay and recruiting bonuses, Gov. DeSantis backs the blue."
According to the organization: "The Florida Police Chiefs Association is the nation's pre-eminent law enforcement professional association, speaking for over 1,300 of Florida's top law enforcement executives and members, and providing guidance and leadership for the future of law enforcement and our communities."
The organization said it "serves municipal, airport, college and university, and tribal police departments, as well as private businesses and security firms and federal, state and county law enforcement agencies across every region of the state."
The organization, founded in 1952, gave its first-ever presidential endorsement to Trump in 2020, citing his commitment to the law enforcement community, Newsweek reported at the time.
"Time and time again, President Trump has demonstrated his unwavering support for law enforcement and for the men and women that risk their lives to protect the peace," then-association President Chief Jeff Pearson said during a press conference in October 2020.
Association spokesman William Stander told Newsmax on Monday that the endorsement for the 2024 race was decided through a process of the organization's board of directors established in the bylaws and considered each candidate on their own and was not due to a single issue or position between Trump and DeSantis.
In the release, the organization said DeSantis' Florida Law Enforcement Recruitment Bonus Program brought in more than 2,265 recruits and officers from other states to Florida, and that DeSantis worked with the state legislature this year to fund a second round of recruitment bonuses as well as another $110 million one-time recognition bonuses eligible first responders.
"Gov. DeSantis cares about the men and women who risk their lives to protect the public, and he's demonstrated that concern by making sure agencies have the resources to recruit and retain the most capable, professional officers," Secondnd Vice President Charlie Vazquez said in the release.
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