Palm Coast Local - Starting January 1, 2025, in Florida, first responders will wield a new tool to carve out a safe space for themselves while on duty in public. Governor Ron DeSantis has approved legislation (SB 184) allowing police, firefighters, and paramedics to designate a 25-foot zone around them where interference or harassment will not be tolerated. Those who breach this zone after being warned could face up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.
Senate Bill 184, championed by Hialeah Republican Representative Alex Rizo and supported by Hialeah Gardens Republican Senator Bryan Ávila, aims to enhance the safety of first responders in challenging situations, such as crowded events like Spring Break. This reactionary distance is established to provide enough space for responders to react to potential threats effectively.
Critics, including many Miami-Dade County Commissioners, argue that this measure could obstruct the public's ability to document instances of police misconduct. They fear it could be used to discourage filming of law enforcement actions. However, proponents of the law, like Senator Ávila, emphasize that recording police remains a constitutionally protected right.
While the bill received mostly partisan support, some Democrats, such as retired New York City Transit detective Vic Torres and former prosecutor Jason Pizzo, endorsed it. Pizzo even suggested that the designated 25-foot distance might not always suffice in certain scenarios, proposing that first responders should have the discretion to adjust the distance as needed.
Pizzo also highlighted the broader necessity for police to use body cameras, citing studies that demonstrate their potential to exonerate officers in contentious situations.
Here is how the bill reads currently:
SB 184: Impeding, Threatening, or Harassing First Responders
GENERAL BILL by Avila ; (CO-INTRODUCERS) Hooper
Impeding, Threatening, or Harassing First Responders; Prohibiting a person, after receiving a warning not to approach from a first responder who is engaged in the lawful performance of a legal duty, from violating such warning and approaching or remaining within a specified distance of the first responder with specified intent, etc.
