Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody talks crime prevention in Ocala

Sheriff's representatives from more than half of the state's 67 counties were at the Marion County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday to show their support for a report highlighting the importance of being tough on crime.

Multiple speakers at the event, hosted by Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods, said the goal is to keep residents and businesses safe from criminals and to ensure peace and prosperity.

Up for discussion Wednesday was a new 18-page booklet from the Florida Sheriffs Research Institute and the Florida Chamber of Commerce entitled "Building Stronger Safer Cities, Avoiding Dangerous Policy Off-Ramps to Secure Florida's Future Success."

According to that report, "Tragically, in many states and cities around our nation, leaders have made policy decisions that drove their communities off the path of economic prosperity and security into crime-ridden despair and ruin."

Attorney General Ashley Moody, the keynote speaker at the gathering, said Florida is not following the model of big cities in other states when it comes to crime, criminal behavior or criminals. Moody said Florida is passing laws that fight crime and supporting the law enforcement agencies that enforce those laws.

The state's top law enforcement official and prosecutor said Florida is the "most pro-law enforcement state in the nation." She said while some states have talked about defunding law enforcement departments, decriminalized certain crimes and have rogue prosecutors, Florida is doing the opposite.

A safe place to live

Florida is the third largest state in the United States with roughly 23 million people and that number is expected to increase by nearly 3 million, with 1.35 million new jobs, 40 million visitors and about 2.5 million more drivers by 2030, according to the "Building Stronger Safer Cities" report.

Moody said it's important to back law enforcement agencies that can investigate criminal activities and protect this growing population.

Calling the state "the envy of the nation," Moody said places like New York and California are losing residents because of their policies.

The 18-page report points to six areas where some states are failing: decriminalizing crime, defunding the police, rogue prosecutors, the revolving jailhouse door, juvenile accountability and supporting law enforcement.

Support for the initiative

Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson Jr., research chair for the Florida Sheriffs Association, said the data gathered is reliable and Florida leaders will always let facts and data drive policy.

Carolyn Johnson, vice president of government affairs for the Florida Chamber of Commerce, said business owners are aware of the trend in other states and those owners have noticed their new customers are coming from places with high crime.

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, the legislative chair for the Florida Sheriffs Association, pointed to three areas he feels are the cause of Florida's safe environment: laws, science and technology and more law enforcement.

"We need these tools to be effective," he said.

One part of the study, under the heading "The Revolving Jailhouse Door," mentions that in 2023, a new Florida law was passed requiring "violent or repeat offenders to see a judge before they can receive a bond."

The law also makes "detention hearings for violent offenders, requiring a judge to determine if a defendant should remain in jail prior to conviction." And the law "stopped local courts from establishing no bond policies, mandating a uniform, and statewide bond schedule for non-violent crimes to be set by the state Supreme Court."

Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com