This week, standing with more than 30 Florida Sheriffs and the Florida Chamber of Commerce, we announced a first-of-its-kind report outlining how to keep our state on the right track.  

Florida ranks high for population growth, business formations and tourism. This is no accident, and the new Building Stronger Safer Cities report outlines how some parts of the country took dangerous, unproven detours, while our leaders stayed focused on sound, commonsense criminal justice policies.

According to the new report, the result of these deliberate decisions is continued prosperity for Florida and rising crime, dwindling populations and a loss for tax revenue for some areas of the country that went in the opposite direction.

As Florida aims to become a top 10 global economy, our leaders remain committed to securing our future success by continuing to reject calls for policies that promote chaos and instability in our cities. 

We are the third largest state in the nation with approximately 23 million people, and according to the report, we expect to add 2.8 million more residents, 1.35 million new jobs, 40 million more annual visitors and approximately 2.5 million more drivers by 2030.  

Making measured, informed decisions about public safety policies and avoiding dangerous off-ramps will help ensure we achieve these lofty goals. As Florida continues on the road to prosperity, this report can serve as both a warning and a road map to Stronger, Safer cities.