Week In Review
Automotive fraud scams drivers out of their hard-earned money and makes our roadways less safe. Nationwide, odometer rollbacks alone are responsible for an estimated $1 billion in lost value annually. These illegal rollbacks also prevent drivers from pursuing important maintenance and service…
In recent years, we have seen increased efforts to try to demonize our law enforcement heroes. These disingenuous attacks can influence our youth and create a chasm between law enforcement and the communities they have sworn an oath to protect. It is vital to our state that we do everything in…
Supporting law enforcement is very important to me and I have made it one of my office’s top priorities. I always enjoy working with deputies and officers and learning about recent cases or just parts of their everyday life. I want our law enforcement partners to know that our state fully…
Our fact-gathering mission to find out what is behind a dramatic increase in teen vaping in Florida continued. According to the Florida Department of Health, e-cigarette use among high school students increased 78 percent from 2017 to 2018. We want to know why, and more importantly how to…
Our military members risk their lives in service to our country. Sadly, while they are deployed overseas, and even after they retire from service, scammers may target them to try to make a dishonest dollar. July is Military Consumer Protection Month, and in recognition of the month, I launched…
This week, registration opened for our 2019 Human Trafficking Summit. The annual Summit brings together local, state and national leaders working to eradicate all forms of human trafficking. Bringing together leaders in this important fight to share ideas and discuss innovative interdiction…
Robocalls are a growing problem nationwide. Not only are they annoying, the calls are often part of a scam designed to trick consumers into parting with their hard-earned cash. My office is working diligently with our federal partners to stop these illegal calls, and this week, we joined the…
Planning for our 2019 Human Trafficking Summit is underway, and we are accepting nominations now for this year’s Summit awards. Florida is fortunate to have so many people dedicated to the fight to end human trafficking and help trafficking survivors heal. I look forward to recognizing some of…
This week, we hosted our first ever Senior Scam Stopper Workshop and Awards. It was inspiring to see so many Floridians dedicated to our mission to protect Floridians. Teaching seniors how to spot scams and report fraud is an extremely effective tool to prevent exploitation. A vital partner in…
Hurricane season is underway, and Floridians need to prepare now to make sure they have a plan, food, water and the tools to survive when a storm arrives. Following recent storms, many businesses donated essentials and helped Floridians obtain the supplies they needed to weather the storm. Sadly…
The 2019 Atlantic Hurricane Season begins this weekend. To help Floridians get ready, I am releasing the latest edition of our Hurricane Preparedness Guide. The guide is full of tips and checklists to help better prepare you and your family for a hurricane, as well as, information to help…
Our Back the Blue Campaign continues to highlight individuals that take extraordinary steps to further build positive relationships between law enforcement and the communities they serve. This week, I traveled to Fort Myers to present a Back the Blue Award to School Resource Officer Donna Aiossa…
This week, I hosted the first of four discussions in our Mental Health and Criminal Justice Summer Round Table Series. The series is focused on identifying best practices and innovative strategies to help improve how Florida’s criminal justice system addresses individuals suffering from mental…
Florida continues to rank third in the nation in the number of calls to the National Human Trafficking Hotline. This horrific crime is plaguing our state and we must remain vigilant on combatting this modern-day slavery. Taking an active role in this fight is especially crucial with the Super…
Working with state lawmakers this week, we passed important legislation that will help our office better protect Floridians. Lawmakers passed bills to bolster our opioid litigation, provide stability to Florida’s criminal justice system, ensure children suffering from rare forms of epilepsy can…
We are fighting the opioid crisis on many fronts. Soon, our Statewide Task Force on Opioid Drug Abuse will begin meeting to identify innovative strategies for prevention, treatment and interdiction. State litigation to hold the nation’s largest opioid distributors, manufacturers and pharmacies…
This week, we reached the 100-day mark of our new administration. It has been an exciting, challenging first 100 days, but in this short period of time, our office achieved several major victories and implemented important changes to better protect Floridians. While campaigning to serve as…
As we continue to recognize National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, I want to thank all of Florida’s law enforcement officers, victim advocates and nonprofit counselors who work every day to help victims of crime. This week, we took a moment to award several of these compassionate public servants…
This week, Governor Ron DeSantis issued an Executive Order establishing Florida’s Statewide Task Force on Opioid Drug Abuse. I am honored and humbled to serve as Chair of this vital 21-member team. From my very first day in office, we sought a formalized statewide structure to meet this crisis…
This week, we celebrated Senior Day at the Florida Capitol. More than five million seniors call Florida home. Some are lifelong Floridians. Others moved here to retire and enjoy our warm weather, great economy and beautiful beaches. Seniors also play an important role in our efforts to fight…