General Programs

One of the strengths of the Florida Sheriffs Association is the ability to pool resources from the 67 sheriffs’ offices to address specific areas of concern. After Florida’s Mutual Aid Act took effect in 1984, the sheriffs were given a better system for working together during emergency operations, including built-in legal protections. The Florida sheriffs took this a step further by creating a structure to launch proactive efforts, including establishing operation protocols and Command Advisory Teams with specific expertise, including hostage negotiations, forensics and civil disturbance.

The first statewide task force operation, held in July 1989, was organized to address the growing crack cocaine problem. It involved more than 1,500 law enforcement officers from various counties and resulted in 2,224 arrests. Since then, the Florida Sheriffs Task Force operations have gained national recognition, including an effort that removed $1.5 million of prescription drugs from the street, a crackdown on “Deadbeat Dads,” and mass arrests of sexual predators. The Florida Sheriffs Task Force also is the point of contact for statewide initiatives, including helping to staff the state Emergency Operations Center and coordinating sheriffs’ offices responding to storm-ravaged communities during hurricanes and other catastrophic disasters.