As you know, we have worked to improve our relations with the Florida Sheriffs Association, and have formed a great partnership in many areas of concern. I believe that we must continue to improve our efforts to work together to improve legislative efforts that will have a positive effect on the quality of life for citizens of, and visitors to, our great state.

We must also continue our efforts to support one another, while providing information on new initiatives and innovations that improve the quality of services we provide to our communities. One of our major efforts that began this past year is the proposed supervisory academy. Under the coordinated efforts of Chief Paul Rumbley, the support of F.D.L.E. Commissioner Tim Moore, and the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission, this training opportunity should become a reality within the next calendar year.

In addition, we must continue our efforts to be heard in Tallahassee. We are the voice for quality law enforcement. Although there are many police officer organizations that may serve a valuable purpose, none has the commitment the Florida Police Chiefs Association has in appointing and retaining only the highest quality police officer. We as police professionals will preserve the jobs of those who serve our communities well, and must not tolerate those that compromise their integrity and act in a biased manner to the detriment of our citizens. We need to remove those officers from our agencies and see that their certifications are revoked.

It has become apparent that several efforts to improve the quality of law enforcement have little chance of passing at the state level, and may be more appropriately addressed by our individual agencies or regions. These issues include education and salary. We all know the benefits of higher education. We should encourage, or if appropriate for your're the individual agency, require officers to pursue their college degrees, improving their knowledge base from which all decisions are made. Salary is another area that, while at times seems off limits, can be a contributing factor in providing the level of service demanded by our citizens. Large disparities in salary among departments in our individual regions, place undue pressure on Police Chiefs who are struggling to hire and retain the quality officers needed to provide the professional police services our citizens deserve. It is the role of the Florida Police Chiefs Association to assist all our members in achieving this level of service.

Again, I thank you all for the opportunity to represent you and I pledge to serve with the highest degree of integrity and professionalism you all deserve.