The Florida Sheriffs Association wants to promote better relations between law enforcers and young people. To that end, it's constructing a large youth education center next door to its Mahan Drive headquarters in Tallahassee. Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly, the chair of the project's building committee, was one of the speakers during the July 11 groundbreaking ceremony.
"Once completed, the $24 million, 2-story building will be more than 22,000 square feet. The theater room will have 67 seats, each seat representing a county sheriff's office in Florida since we have 67 sheriffs."
The center will also have lots of interactive exhibits and simulators that give visitors a realistic representation of situations encountered by law officers.
The project is in Third District State Senator Corey Simon's territory. He was a major advocate for the facility during the past two legislative sessions.
"The number one mission that we have as the legislature is public safety. That public safety goes far beyond the men and women who wear the uniform now, but (also) the young men and women who will follow you."
The Sheriffs Association hopes the hi-tech, hands-on experiences will inspire more young people to consider a career in law enforcement. A recent survey by the police advocacy organization Lexipol reported 70% of Florida's local and state law enforcement agencies find officer recruitment has become more difficult. Florida recently enacted a one-time $5,000 bonus for new officers to further encourage additional police hiring.
