For those wondering why the Florida Legislature approved legislation that would change the face of law enforcement on Volusia County’s beaches, they can find the answer in a long-running fight in Miami-Dade County.
House Bill 1595 says that only a sheriff has law enforcement power in unincorporated areas. It also, among other things, says that local governments can’t maintain a separate policing authority in those areas.
That means big changes for Volusia County’s Beach Safety division.
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The bill will put beach law enforcement in the hands of the sheriff instead of the county beach patrol. The sheriff’s office and Beach Safety have already been working on the transition.
Here’s some background on the issue:
What does Miami-Dade have to do with this?
To understand the issue, one must start with Amendment 10, approved by voters in 2018. It gave more power to constitutional officers, such as the sheriff, and mandated their election. The amendment had the biggest impact on Miami-Dade, the only county in Florida that does not have a sheriff.
The county eliminated the position in the 1960s after a major scandal. Miami-Dade has until Jan. 7, 2025, to elect a sheriff.
The Miami-Dade County Commission in August of 2022 passed a resolution that the Miami-Dade Police Department – not a newly elected sheriff – would continue to provide police services in unincorporated areas.
The county eliminated the position in the 1960s after a major scandal. Miami-Dade has until Jan. 7, 2025, to elect a sheriff.
The Miami-Dade County Commission in August of 2022 passed a resolution that the Miami-Dade Police Department – not a newly elected sheriff – would continue to provide police services in unincorporated areas.
The Florida Sheriff’s Office Association filed a lawsuit against the county and Circuit Court Judge Vivianne Del Rio dismissed it in February. The sheriffs association appealed and that court fight is still in progress.
Sheriffs turn to Florida Legislature
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri is the legislative committee chairman for the sheriffs association. He wrote an email to its members about getting help from the statehouse.
“We have been working hard on a bill that will address all of the concerns about a county commission usurping the sheriff’s authority and the specific issue in Miami-Dade of having a sheriff assume policing functions in January 2025,” he wrote in an email to the association.
Then there was House Bill 1595.
What does the bill do for Miami-Dade?
The Florida Sheriffs Association strongly supported the bill. Gualtieri spoke in support of HB 1595 at a committee hearing and said all 66 sheriffs supported it.
The agency said in its 2023 legislative priorities that would ensure the independence of sheriffs across the state. By banning other police agencies from having jurisdiction in unincorporated areas, the bill essentially overrules the Miami-Dade resolution.
What does all this mean for Volusia County?
The bill will go into effect when DeSantis signs it, so there won’t be any transition time for Volusia at that point, according to County Manager George Recktenwald. It will take away the law enforcement authority of Beach Safety officers, but they will still be certified as emergency medical technicians and lifeguards.
Source: The Daytona Beach
