By Staff Report
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a package of law enforcement-related bills Tuesday aimed at increasing penalties for repeat offenders and providing police and prosecutors with additional tools to combat crime.
The measures include making it easier for law enforcement to identify gang members, expanding registration requirements for certain repeat offenders and enhancing penalties for crimes involving law enforcement officers and illegal drugs.
During a bill signing ceremony at the Winter Haven Police Department, DeSantis also warned against so-called “teen takeover” events, in which large groups of young people gather in public spaces and engage in disruptive behavior.
“We do not recognize any teen takeover. If you try that, you are doing that at your peril,” DeSantis said. “And if the local officials are not holding you accountable, I’ll put somebody in there who will hold you accountable.”
Last week, Attorney General James Uthmeier announced a statewide initiative through the Office of Statewide Prosecution targeting organizers of teen takeover events.
“If you organize these destructive takeovers, we will find you, we will dismantle your network, and we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law,” Uthmeier said in a statement.
None of the measures signed Tuesday specifically address teen takeovers. However, DeSantis said the legislation reflects the state’s broader approach to repeat offenders.
“I love a redemption arc. I love rehabilitation,” DeSantis said. “But when you have some of these people that are career criminals, they are going to re-offend. And so you have to keep them off the street and make them serve their entire sentence.”
One bill (SB 1332) expands registration requirements for individuals designated as habitual violent felony offenders, violent career criminals and three-time violent felony offenders.
Under the law, effective Oct. 1, career offenders must annually provide local sheriffs with information including their address, phone number, employment, vehicles, professional licenses and immigration status. They also must report changes to their address, employment or phone number within 48 hours.
The measure also requires career offenders to have “775.261” displayed on their driver’s licenses or identification cards, referencing the section of Florida law defining career offenders.
Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass said the designation will assist officers during encounters with repeat offenders.
“The career offender is not little Johnny going to steal a candy bar at the food store,” Glass said. “The career offender is the one who’s been deemed by the court that continuously keeps coming through here, and these are your violent ones.”
Another measure signed Tuesday (HB 429) broadens the criteria used to identify criminal gang members. The law allows spouses to identify individuals as gang members, recognizes online admissions of gang affiliation and lowers the threshold for association with known gang members from four documented encounters to two.
DeSantis also signed SB 156, which requires a life sentence for individuals convicted of manslaughter involving an active-duty law enforcement officer.
The legislation is named in honor of Daytona Beach Police Officer Jason Raynor, who died after being shot while questioning a suspect in 2021. The suspect, Othal Wallace, was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Another bill (SB 432) makes it a first-degree felony to manufacture, sell or distribute xylazine outside approved veterinary uses. The measure also establishes third-degree felony penalties for the unlawful sale or possession of nitrous oxide, while preserving exemptions for legitimate retail uses.
In addition, DeSantis signed SB 436, which increases penalties for individuals with prior convictions for resisting an officer with violence. Under the new law, a first-degree misdemeanor battery charge can be enhanced to a third-degree felony for repeat offenders.
