Safety and Security
Governor Crist understands that nothing is more important than protecting the safety and security of every Floridian. He does not believe in waiting for a crime to happen before taking action. The Crist Administration will focus on prevention, education, and enforcement.
Governor Crist will focus on prevention of crime through an expanded child predator unit. He will work to provide enhanced software and data warehousing programs that will allow law enforcement officers to more efficiently track sexual offenders and will implement programs to enhance the compatibility of various state and local agencies’ communications systems and their ability to share information statewide. Governor Crist’s Anti-Murder legislation will prevent crime by keeping violent offenders, who violate probation, in jail until a judge finds they do not pose a danger to the community.
Education is an important facet of safety and security. Governor Crist believes all Law Enforcement Officers should receive continuing education on the growing trend of electronic media being used to victimize children. He believes in implementing Internet Safety as part of the curriculum for Florida’s virtual training programs. A cyber safety course could be compatible with existing courses to protect students from cyber predators and continuing education programs could further train parents, teachers, and administrators on techniques to identify students who may be at risk of being victimized by internet predators.
Governor Crist believes that prison sentences should be increased for child sex offenders. He believes in zero tolerance for sexual predators and sexual offenders. As soon as an Internet predator attempts to have physical contact with a child, that predator should be charged with a second degree felony, a crime that could bring a maximum of fifteen years in prison. Governor Crist believes that anyone convicted of a sex crime more than one time, should be sentenced to life in prison.