Gov. Ron DeSantis Offering $5,000 to Anti-Vax Officers Willing to Relocate to Florida

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is standing with anti-vaxxers in various police unions and is willing to compensate and employ officers who don’t want to follow their local vaccine mandates.

On Sunday, DeSantis said he is working to sign legislation that would offer a $5,000 bonus to out-of-state law enforcement who refuse to get vaccinated and relocate to Florida to work there instead, CBS News reports. DeSantis is in the process of “actively working to recruit” officers from other states to fill positions within Florida’s police and sheriff’s departments. The Sunshine State will gladly welcome any law enforcement officers willing to lose their jobs to defy following the vaccine mandates in their city.

“In the next legislative session, I’m going to hopefully sign legislation that gives a $5,000 bonus to any out of state law enforcement that relocates in Florida,” DeSantis told Fox News.

“NYPD, Minneapolis, Seattle, if you’re not being treated well, we’ll treat you better here: you fill important needs for us, and we’ll compensate you as a result.”

DeSantis’ offer comes as a growing number of law enforcement officials and city employees are at odds with the slowly spreading vaccine mandates required of workers, CNN reports.

“It will be available to anyone who comes. If people are saying it’s a vaccine issue, it’s not. It has nothing to with that,” DeSantis said on Monday. He also said he doesn’t “think police officers should be fired for shots.”

DeSantis prides Florida in being a state that has always “backed the blue” since 2020, when the nation joined in protest that supported ideologies of police reform.

“We are looking to capitalize off a lot of communities across our county who have turned their back on law enforcement, who aren’t providing them the support,” DeSantis said.

While calling out cities like New York City, Minneapolis, and San Francisco, DeSantis welcomed any disgruntled law enforcement officials to the southern state.

“We are 100% excited about saying anyone that’s being mistreated, if the morale is low, if you can’t take that environment—and we have openings here—you are going to get an environment where people are going to support you,” DeSantis said.

This latest plea comes as DeSantis calls for special sessions to protect Florida jobs from federal vaccine mandates.