Tampa Bay Newspapers
LARGO, Fla. — A new Florida license plate was unveiled at a press conference Wednesday, Feb. 27, at the Criminal Justice Academy of Pinellas Park High School in Largo.
Sen. Jack Latvala (R-Clearwater) and Rep. Dwight Dudley (D-St. Petersburg) filed bills to be considered during the 2013 Legislative Session, which will create a specialty license plate to honor law enforcement officers that are killed in the line of duty.
Students in the Criminal Justice Academy located at Pinellas Park High School organized the group Operation 10-24 which created the specialty tag and brought the idea to Sen. Latvala. Senate Bill 712 and House Bill 911 will provide for proceeds from the annual fee of $25 per tag to benefit the Police and Kids Foundation Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit charity to benefit law enforcement and students.
Seventy percent of the funds will go to training and equipment for law enforcement officer safety and 30 percent will go toward education, which could include high school programs that have a law enforcement education focus or a scholarship for a student in the police academy.
Reprinted with permission from Tampa Bay Newspapers