PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis gave remarks Tuesday at the Florida Sheriffs’ Association 2026 Winter Conference in St. Johns County, discussing how the state handles law enforcement and crime compared to other parts of the country.
Held at Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa in Ponte Vedra Beach, DeSantis made it clear that in Florida, prosecutors have a job to do — enforce the law. He pointed out that in some places around the country, prosecutors are deciding not to enforce certain laws.
“You saw it in San Francisco with the prosecutor, they even had to recall. You’ve seen it in Los Angeles. You’ve seen it in Baltimore, Philadelphia, all these places,” said DeSantis. “And it’s a concerted effort, to basically put people back on the street, who are committing criminal offenses."
The governor highlighted Florida’s stance against such practices, noting that his administration has removed prosecutors who didn’t do their job.
Though he didn’t name names at the conference, his 2023 removal of Orange County State Attorney Monique Worrell is an example. He accused her of “refusing to faithfully enforce the laws of Florida.“
Worrell won back her job in the November election. At a news conference last week, Worrell denied a hostile relationship but admitted there’s been tension. She said she had reached out to the attorney general and the governor’s office multiple times asking for meetings.
“We obviously still monitor these prosecutors as new elections come in and there are examples of them not following and we obviously will be willing to act on that," DeSantis said.
DeSantis also talked about policies like no cash bail, which allows some offenders to be released quickly. He said Florida has rejected those policies because they often lead to repeat offenses.
Looking ahead, he said the state legislature is working on new crime policies to keep Florida moving in the right direction.
Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma echoed the governor’s support for law enforcement, adding that incentives have helped attract more people to policing in Florida.
“I think our vacancy numbers are coming down as a result of that," said Lemma.
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