TAMPA -- "We're targeting your cities, for your officers."
That's Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody's message as she and Florida's sheriffs and police chiefs get ready to hold an online job fair. The aim is to recruit new officers, which are needed as Florida grows.
Moody, a Republican, also mentioned that they were targeting communities such as New York and Chicago, to recruit new officers. Moody referenced Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, repeating charges that he ignores violent crime while seeking to prosecute former President Trump. Moody said Chicago elected what she called a "defund the police" mayor recently. (Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson spoke of moving police money to other services in 2020 but during his 2023 campaign insisted he wouldn't cut "one penny" from police budgets.) Moody has this message for blue cities that she says don't "back the blue."
"If you're not funding them, if you're not telling them you have their backs, if you're not telling them that law enforcement and the rule of law are central to a civilized, stable society, we're going to target them to relocate to Florida."
Florida's statewide job fair is online Thursday (20th) from noon to 3 p.m. eastern. Would be law enforcement candidates may pre-register at one of these links:
Florida Police Chiefs Association
Photo: Canva