Florida law enforcement officials donate equipment to agencies in Puerto Rico

Orlando, Maitland police donate vests, ballistic shields, Tasers, radios

ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando and Maitland leaders as well as members of the Orlando Police Department gathered tons of equipment Tuesday to help law agencies in Puerto Rico.

From communication equipment, vests, ballistic shields, Tasers and radios, it's all part of the recovery efforts from Hurricane Maria in 2017.

"We know this is going to be very valuable for Puerto Rico especially the eight municipalities in west part of the island that is in dire need," Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolon said.

Agencies from across the state, as far as Mexico Beach, also donated items.

Rolon and several officers witnessed firsthand the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria when they were deployed to assist Puerto Rican authorities shortly after the storm hit.

"As soon as we came back from Puerto Rico, we came back understanding there was a desperate need for anything that we can send back to help the agencies over there," Rolon said.

Rolon explained there are 13,000 law enforcement officers, not including all the municipalities in the island in need of equipment following the storm.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and Maitland Mayor Dale McDonald were there on Tuesday as officers prepared the truck full of equipment.

"We know what it’s like to receive after hurricanes or tragedies like Pulse, around the state, and around the world, so it pleases me to extend that same type of assistance for others in need," Dyer said.

"It’s a treat to be here and even a bigger treat for city of Maitland to be able to participate in a effort like this collaboratively," McDonald said.

Rolon said they will be flying back to Puerto Rico next month to distribute the supplies to eight law enforcement agencies.


About the Author:

Ezzy Castro is a multimedia journalist on News 6's morning team who has a passion for telling the stories of the people in the Central Florida community. Ezzy worked at WFOR CBS4 in South Florida and KBMT in Beaumont, Texas, where she covered Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Being from Miami, Ezzy loves Cuban coffee and croquetas!