Florida Governor Ron DeSantis distributed $5,000 recruitment bonuses to 40 members of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday, marking a new milestone in the state’s two-year-old law-enforcement hiring push. The Republican governor said Florida has now awarded more than 8,700 such bonuses since the program began in 2022, and an additional 715 checks are slated to be mailed across the state this week. The incentives are aimed at attracting both first-time Florida recruits and experienced officers relocating from cities including Chicago, Atlanta and New York. DeSantis added that the state budget for the current fiscal year sets aside roughly $50 million to raise law-enforcement pay, boosting minimum salaries and giving veteran officers a 15% increase. Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister credited the initiative with helping his agency close a longstanding staffing gap, saying the department is on track to be fully staffed for the first time in decades. Newly sworn-in Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins joined DeSantis at the Tampa event.