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Dear Citizens, In virtually every opinion poll public safety continues to be one of the primary concerns for the citizens of Florida. And that’s why I urge all residents to keep an eye on the legislative process that is taking place in Tallahassee. As with all law enforcement agencies, the CCSO has a duty to enforce the laws of the state. But writing laws is the job of the Florida Legislature. Each year, hundreds of new state laws are proposed in Tallahassee. Many of the legislative proposals are good laws designed to better protect the public and deserve our support. Some of the proposed laws that will be considered once the 2010 Legislative session gets under way in March would be detrimental to the safety and protection of our citizens and visitors. Two bad proposals would create opportunities to reduce sentences for young and older inmates. If passed, these measures would open the cell doors and put convicted criminals back out onto the streets to rob, injure and victimize more of our citizens. Senate Bill 484 is a particularly bad proposal that would grant early release to certain inmates 50-years-old or older as long as they have already served at least 25 years of their sentence. Anyone who has already served 25 years in prison has been convicted of an extremely serious crime, such as rape, robbery or assault. This is not the type of person we want roaming our streets again, and I strongly object to giving them a reduced sentence just because they’ve reached a certain age. This is a bill that deserves to be defeated. The same is also true for Senate Bill 184 and its House companion, House Bill 23. These bills reduce the sentence of dangerous youthful offenders under certain circumstances. We’re not talking about youthful mistakes. We’re talking about youthful offenders -- those 15 or younger at the time of their crime -- who’ve been convicted as adults to lengthy sentences due to the seriousness of their crimes. Early release would diminish the deterrent value of prison and result in more juvenile crime. We must not turn the clock back on justice in Florida. I encourage you to read these proposed bills and join sheriffs like me in making our voices heard. Rick Beseler, Sheriff Click on names below to contact your state senators and representatives directly by email: State Senator Evelyn Lynn State House Representative Michael Weinstein State House Representative Bill Proctor State House Representative Jennifer Carroll State House Representative Janet Adkins The Florida Sheriffs support the following: Methamphetamine Pharmaceutical Products/Sale SB 1050 (link)
Collective Bargaining for Certain Public Employees
Reason we oppose: We oppose any legislation that would create an automatic expungement of criminal records. Reason we oppose: These bills would reduce the sentence of dangerous youthful offenders, diminishing the deterrent value of prison and resulting in more juvenile crime. Reason we oppose: This bill would grant early release to certain inmates 50-years-old or older. Regardless of age, these inmates are in prison to safeguard the public, and reducing their sentence would do an injustice to the suffering of their victims and make our community less safe. Additionally, inmates who would be released under this bill would only be monitored electronically for one year and the families of the victims wouldn't be consulted during the review process. Reason we oppose: This bill would reduce courtroom security throughout the state. NOTE: Be sure to check back on this site. After the above bills are debated, we will be posting information on how our Legislators voted. |
