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The International Union of Police Associations (I.U.P.A.) Local 6020 represents approximately 1200 members who are employed as law enforcement Deputies and Sergeants at the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, the largest sheriff’s office in Florida. The I.U.P.A. Local 6020, has partnered with county wide officials responsible for representing the approximately 2 million residents of Broward County, Florida’s second largest county. The I.U.P.A. Local 6020, Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony, and Broward Property Appraiser Marty Kiar have partnered together in supporting House Bill (HB) 239 and Senate Bill (SB) 224, for the betterment of public safety for the citizens of Broward County and the broader Florida community.
HB 239 and SB 224 will strengthen the age of the workforce of Special Risk Class members (police officers, firefighters, and correctional officers) in the Florida Retirement System (FRS), improve recruitment and retention for public safety agencies using FRS, and alleviate the mental health strain on these first responders. HB 239 and SB 224 will place the retirement eligibility age for Special Risk Class members at 55 and the years of creditable service required to retire at 25 years. In July 2011, the Florida legislature enacted a variety of changes to Special Risk Class members who were hired by an FRS employer by increasing the retirement eligibility age to 60 years of age and the years of creditable service to be eligible to retire to 30 years. The Florida legislature has recognized that the nature of the work of these Special Risk members require extraordinary agility and mental acuity.
Lapses in public safety are detrimental to every aspect of society. Shortcomings in public safety result in neighborhoods being less safe for families, tougher environments for businesses to succeed in which can result in businesses going out of business and people becoming unemployed, lower home values which damages individual wealth for the citizens in our communities, and a higher likelihood that citizens within our communities will become victimized physically and mentally. HB 239 and SB 224 will impose a change that immediately and long term is miniscule in terms of its financial impact which will be beneficial to the safety of Florida’s Special Risk Class members as well as the safety of the general public in a vast number of ways.
Florida continues to be the model state around the country for public safety due to Governor DeSantis and the Florida legislature’s tough on crime stance, additional funding for public safety such as recruitment bonuses, and overall public support for our first responders. The public safety implications of HB 239 and SB 224 will be another cause in helping Florida continue to lead the country in public safety.
The I.U.P.A. Local 6020, Broward Sheriff Tony, and Property Appraiser Kiar are proud to stand together in supporting HB 239 and SB 224 so Broward County as well as the broader Florida community continues to be a safe state for our current citizens, and continues to be a destination that citizens throughout the United States seek to become a part of.
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