WATCH: Brevard Sheriff Wayne Ivey Speaks During Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Anti-Rioting Bill Signing

By  //  April 19, 2021

SHERIFF IVEY: The primary responsibility of government is to protect the safety of its citizens

WATCH: Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey joined Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis during a press conference in Polk County Monday morning who signed HB1 into law to prevent violent riots and combat public disorder. (BCSO video)

POLK COUNTY, FLORIDA – Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey joined Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis during a press conference in Polk County Monday morning who signed HB1 into law to prevent violent riots and combat public disorder.

Sheriff Ivey said crime will rise to the level a community will tolerate and that the primary responsibility of government is to protect the safety of its citizens.

“The state of Florida takes public safety very seriously,” said DeSantis.

HB1 allows local law enforcement to challenge budgets, opens cities to liability for poor riot control, and creates or strengthens penalties against rioters:

Combating Public Disorder; Authorizing specified elected officials to file an appeal to the Administration Commission if the governing body of a municipality makes a specified reduction to the operating budget of the municipal law enforcement agency; providing that a municipality has a duty to allow the municipal law enforcement agency to respond to a riot or unlawful assembly in a specified manner based on specified circumstances; reclassifying the penalty for an assault committed in furtherance of a riot or an aggravated riot; prohibiting cyberintimidation by publication; prohibiting a person from willfully participating in a specified violent public disturbance resulting in specified damage or injury; creating an affirmative defense to a civil action where the plaintiff participated in a riot, etc.

“If you riot, loot, harm others, particularly law enforcement, you’re going to jail,” said DeSantis. “We’re not going to end up like Portland.”

Democrats opposed to the bill, claiming it would prevent peaceful protest as the Republican majority said HB1 supports law and order .

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