For Immediate Release December 18, 2021   TALLAHASSEE – The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is responding to the Tampa Bay Times misleading article, “Is Florida’s disinterest helping scuttle FBI’s police use-of-force project?”  The facts are that more than 100 Florida law enforcement agencies submit use-of force data to the FDLE, which has in turn, sent that information to the FBI.  In fact, FDLE has transmitted this data nine times so far this year.    Participation shows that Florida law enforcement agencies are committed to transparency by collecting and providing use-of-force data.     Contributing agencies include 95 police agencies, 30 sheriff’s offices, and three statewide law enforcement agencies, for a total of 128, a number provided to the Tampa Bay Times.  While Florida agencies have until July 1, 2022 before state law requires them to submit their use-of-force data, approximately half of all Florida law enforcement agencies voluntarily do so.  Florida is ahead of schedule, not behind.    FDLE launched an online officer use-of-force collection portal last September for local agencies to submit their use-of-force data.  The process has been a multi-year project built to the specifications laid out by the FBI.  FDLE’s Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) has been working with hundreds of law enforcement agencies statewide to assist them with technical expertise, data integration support and the training necessary to provide data for use-of-force and other CJIS projects.  This fall, FDLE’s CJIS held workshops statewide to assist local partners.    While there are no federal requirements to submit use-of-force data, Florida remains committed to collecting and providing this information to its citizens. FDLE is proud of the efforts of our CJIS members and our law enforcement partners statewide who have dedicated the resources necessary to making the collection of this data a priority.