Gov. DeSantis Wants Florida To Be Leader In Comprehensive Threat Assessment

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TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami) - Governor Ron DeSantis wants Florida to become a national leader in intelligence-led policing by establishing a comprehensive threat assessment strategy to identify persons who are on the pathway toward violence so they can prevent tragedies from happening.

To that end, he's directed the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to make the establishment of a threat analysis strategy a priority.

"Florida has experienced many senseless acts of mass violence over the last few years and it must end now," said DeSantis in a statement. "The acts at Pulse Nightclub, the Fort Lauderdale Airport, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the Jacksonville Landing, the yoga studio in Tallahassee and just a few weeks ago, the SunTrust Bank in Sebring have all been avoidable tragedies. We live in a new era of policing as authorities now have analytical tools they can follow that will impede further violence."

Modern law enforcement requires a thorough analysis of information available in the public domain as well as various state and local government entities.

"The FDLE has started to move forward on a threat assessment model for mass violence," said DeSantis at a news conference Wednesday afternoon at the Broward County Courthouse. "A lot of people who are committing mass violence, it's not a secret that this is something that will happen. If you're proactive, you have the opportunity to have an intervention before it happens."

DeSantis said once the FDLE establishes a threat assessment model for mass violence, "Florida would be a leader in a proactive posture when it comes to really horrific crimes, to get ahead of them."

To meet the governor's mandate, the FDLE will establish training in threat assessment techniques through the Criminal Justice Standards & Training Commission for law enforcement entities throughout the state. In addition, FDLE will coordinate with local law enforcement, utilizing the Regional Domestic Security Task Forces to assist law enforcement and aid them in implementing their own threat assessment strategies.