The Florida Highway Patrol Advisory Council is asking the state for $70 million to help grow the force.
Civil litigation attorney and FHP Advisory Council member Paul Novack says Florida's state troopers are severely underfunded.
"There is an urgent need for attention and resolution of some very serious issues that are impacting public safety every day," Novack told WFSU in a brief telephone interview Tuesday.
Florida Highway Patrol has more officers trained by ICE for immigration enforcement than any entity in the country.
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) March 15, 2025
This is a sea change from the Biden years when the federal government refused to delegate immigration enforcement authority to state and local law enforcement… https://t.co/gXDg4FkFoE
Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) has been helping the Trump administration carry out its immigration laws, while undergoing a brief hiring freeze.
According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), Florida Highway Patrol is authorized for 1,982 sworn positions and 503 non-sworn positions for a total of 2,485 full time employees.
But Novack claims the state is short of a few hundred state troopers.
WATCH BELOW: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis holds press conference with members of the Florida Highway Patrol
“State troopers need to be compensated fairly," said Novack. "Their compensation levels are so ridiculously low that FHP cannot effectively retain or recruit troopers.”
Under the governor’s agreement with ICE, Florida’s troopers are executing warrants for immigration violations.
“Florida is setting the example for states in combating illegal immigration and working with the Trump Administration to restore the rule of law,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a Feb. 19 press release.
The FHP Advisory Council hopes this year, the Legislature will address recruitment, instead of dumping more money into purchasing new FHP equipment.
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