FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT

Florida deputies arrested a man accused of sexually assaulting a woman in March 1999, who they say was living under an alias when he was found in California.

Small towns and big cities alike are struggling to recruit and retain law enforcement officers amid national controversy over the police profession. Many veteran officers are retiring, leaving agencies in a bidding war for qualified candidates — as they try to hire the next generation to protect and serve.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement plans to step up its presence this weekend in response to social media posts about a “National Day of Hate” against Jewish groups.

The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office is asking the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigate the death of an inmate who was found unresponsive hours after being told he was fit to stand trial, according to the sheriff’s office.

An investigation into illegal narcotics has led to the arrest of a woman accused of trafficking methamphetamine, setting up drug deals and using her home as a drug house, according to a report from the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement announced the implementation of a new tool that allows survivors to follow the path of their rape kit from evidence collection to forensic identification.

The governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands has fired the attorney general of the U.S. territory who led a lengthy legal case against disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein that resulted in a $105 million settlement.

A fired Florida health data manager who accused officials of wanting to manipulate COVID-19 statistics has reached an agreement with prosecutors on a felony charge that she illegally accessed state computers.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office on Sunday afternoon asked for help locating a missing 9-year-old boy.

A Florida woman, who is registered as a Democrat, was charged with voter fraud after officials say she voted in both Florida and Alaska.

A former Columbia County Sheriff’s Office employee was arrested following an investigation conducted by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, authorities said.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has issued a Missing Child Alert for a teen last seen in Bunnell.

Mike Williams is expected to be tapped by Gov. Ron DeSantis to head up the regional Florida Department of Law Enforcement office in Jacksonville, according to sources.

The Duval County School Board met Thursday morning to discuss the findings of a bombshell grand jury report that found the school’s police force underreported crimes to the state.

A blade tip found in 13-year-old Tristyn Bailey’s body originated from a knife that was discovered in a St. Johns County retention pond, according to a Florida Department of Law Enforcement report released Tuesday.

Out of five candidates, three – Ken Jefferson, Lakesha Burton and Wayne Clark – said they supported turning those investigations over to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE).

Authorities say a Jacksonville teenager was found safe.

A former records supervisor for the Columbia County Clerk of Courts was arrested in a fraud scheme, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement announced Friday.

A business owner and former Boy Scout leader in Fernandina Beach is facing 13 counts of child porn possession after an investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

The alert for the missing child was issued Sunday evening.

Agents with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement arrested Kimberly Ann Kilpatrick, a former Port Orange Police Department captain, on charges of grand theft and exploitation of a disabled adult, according to a news release.

Orange County sheriff’s deputies said they were forced to shoot at a woman who opened fire inside a McDonald’s on Saturday night.

Authorities say three Florida correctional officers have been charged with murder in the fatal beating of a handcuffed prisoner who threw urine at one of the officers.

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office refused to answer questions Thursday after deputies shot and killed someone Wednesday night in Orange Park following a car chase.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement on Wednesday canceled a Missing Child Alert for a 2-month-old who was reported missing out of Fort Pierce, and the FDLE confirmed the child was safe.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement on Wednesday canceled a Missing Child Alert for a 2-month-old who was reported missing out of Fort Pierce, and the FDLE confirmed the child was safe.

Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams on Wednesday responded to reports that he could take over the Florida Department of Law Enforcement now that the current commissioner is resigning early.

The arrests come after an investigation by the Starke Police Department, with assistance from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Eighth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has developed training for 911 tele-communicators to help find children with autism who are reported missing, something that can go a long way for families who have children with autism, because every second counts when trying to find a child with autism that’s reported missing.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the death of an inmate at the Columbia County Jail, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement will lead the investigation into a death that occurred Wednesday in a dorm at the Clay County Jail, according to a news release from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.

Police officers in Jacksonville and Clay County are separately working on five new, unrelated cases involving violence, guns, at least one homicide, and a hostage situation that ended in an officer-involved shooting.

Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating a deputy-involved shooting that happened Saturday at a Green Cove Springs gas station in Clay County. The incident started with a hostage situation that shut down roads in the area for several hours, investigators said.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has issued a report for a missing adult, who was believed to be endangered.

A homicide investigation is underway in Fernandina Beach, authorities said Monday.

If you receive a text message asking to renew your driver's license to show your COVID-19 vaccination status - don't click on it. It's not what you think.

A U.S. appeals court ruling urges Congress to correct a disparity that doesn't allow members of the military convicted by a court-martial the same avenues as civilian prisoners to seek DNA testing that could exonerate them.

A Columbia County Sheriff's Office deputy has been arrested and placed on administrative leave after he was accused of stealing money during a call for service.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement on Sunday afternoon issued a Missing Child Alert for a teenage boy from Leon County.

A Jacksonville girl was found safe late Wednesday afternoon, less than an hour after the Florida Department of Law Enforcement issued a Missing Child Alert.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement on Sunday issued a Missing Child Alert for a 16-year-old boy from Lee County.

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday announced that Florida is sending 50 state law enforcement officers to Texas to help enforce the U.S.-Mexico border, though it remains unclear exactly what their mission will be and who will be paying for the effort.

According to a new report from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, while the overall crime rate was down in Florida last year, violent crimes actually increased by more than 2%.

Property crimes dropped by 17% in Florida last year while violent crimes edged up 2.3% and Duval County continues to have the highest murder rate in the state.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement on Thursday issued an Amber Alert for a missing 6-year-old girl out of St. Augustine.

A man and woman who were still wanted as part of a police operation called “Thou Shalt Not Steal” have been taken into custody, according to a news release Thursday from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Investigators in Florida say a group of Romanian nationals stole $740,000 from hundreds of churches in the United States.

Former Jacksonville Sheriff Nathaniel “Nat” Glover was inducted on Saturday into the Florida Law Enforcement Officers’ Hall of Fame.

After a Florida Amber Alert was issued Wednesday evening for two children last seen in Lake City, authorities announced Thursday that the children had been found safe and their biological parents had been taken into custody.

PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. – The Crescent City Council voted 4-1 on Wednesday night to permanently disband the police department. Back in December, the entire department was placed on administrative leave amid an investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement into training records and irregularities. The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office took over jurisdiction. AdIn the report, the FDLE recommends one of the officers be fired because he didn’t complete mandatory training. The audit also revealed that training documents were never found for another officer, meaning that officer needs to be retrained.

CRESCENT CITY, Fla. – An intensified search for a missing 20-year-old Putnam County mother turned up human remains Saturday in a heavily wooded area outside Crescent City, investigators said. The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office has called in the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s mobile crime lab to help identify the remains, which were found about 8 a.m. Saturday. [Watch the full news conference update below:]Two days after Nelson’s family reported her missing to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the agency first asked the public for help Friday. AdRELATED: Putnam County ramps up search for possibly endangered 20-year-old womanCommunity members gathered off County Road 308 in Crescent City on Saturday to continue the search for Nelson. “If anybody’s seen my baby, can you call please contact the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office or me,” Nelson’s mother, Chasity Nelson, said at a Friday afternoon news conference.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Lawmakers shifted $4.34 million on Thursday to cover a projected deficit caused by an uptick in people applying for concealed-weapons licenses. Without comment, the Joint Legislative Budget Commission, made up of House and Senate members, approved the funding request from the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Division of Licensing, which oversees permitting for concealed weapons. “This translates to an annual projected total of over 400,000 background checks to be processed through June 30, substantially above any prior fiscal year.”AdThe fiscal year began July 1 and will end June 30. The division had been authorized to spend up to $9.9 million for criminal history background checks for concealed-weapons license applicants, Poucher noted. In the two years that Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried has been in office, the number of concealed-weapons licenses issued by the state has grown from 1.95 million to 2.26 million.

SATSUMA, Fla. – The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and deputies with the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office were searching Wednesday for a missing 11-year-old girl. At about midnight, investigators told News4Jax she was found. According to Col. Joseph Wells, she was located several miles from her house walking along a road. Because she is no longer missing, News4Jax has removed her name and photo from this article. Related social media posts have also been updated.

CRESCENT CITY, Fla. – The Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s investigation into the Crescent City Police Department is complete, and News4Jax has obtained a copy of the audit. Back in December, the entire department was placed on administrative leave, and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office took over. He read the FDLE report and said the results are shocking. I’m surprised they didn’t come down on them any sooner than they did.”Jefferson says this creates credibility problems for the entire department. However, that may not matter if the City Council decides to abolish the department and allow the Sheriff’s Office to take over permanently.

Former Florida health data manager sues Florida Department of Law Enforcement after officers raided her home Rebekah Jones was one of the people who helped create Florida's coronavirus dashboard. She was fired from her position in May after she says she refused to manipulate COVID-19 data. On December 7, her home was raided by officers from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) after a cyberbreach that sent messages to current health department employees. Jones joins CBSN's Lana Zak to discuss the lawsuit she has filed against the FDLE and why she says they violated her constitutional rights.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement served the search warrant earlier this month. "They were there to serve a search warrant for a computer. https://twitter.com/GeoRebekahThe message that led to the search warrant implored employees still at the Health Department "to speak up before another 17,000 people are dead. Jones has had several run-ins with law enforcement over personal issues, but has gained international attention by disputing Florida's COVID-19 statistics. The commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Rick Swearingen, said he was "proud of the professional" shown by his agents as they executed a legal search warrant at the home.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement served the search warrant earlier this month. "They were there to serve a search warrant for a computer. https://twitter.com/GeoRebekahThe message that led to the search warrant implored employees still at the Health Department "to speak up before another 17,000 people are dead. Jones has had several run-ins with law enforcement over personal issues, but has gained international attention by disputing Florida's COVID-19 statistics. The commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Rick Swearingen, said he was "proud of the professional" shown by his agents as they executed a legal search warrant at the home.

Bodycam video released by a Florida law enforcement agency on Thursday shows that officers tried multiple times to contact a former Department of Health employee who the state says sent an unauthorized message about COVID-19 data. The more than 20 minutes of video released by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement shows officers knocking on Rebekah Jones' door multiple times and attempting to call her before serving a search warrant Monday morning. Jones set up a video camera before letting officers in, and exclaimed that they were pointing guns at her children. But bodycam video shows her husband and children leaving the house peacefully without guns drawn. She told officers that her lawyer told her not to answer the door.