After Mamdani Victory, DeSantis Makes NYPD Officers an Offer They Can’t Refuse (Page 1 ) | November 10, 2025

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis wasted no time responding to the political shockwave coming out of New York City following the election of self-described socialist Zohran Mamdani as the city’s next mayor. Seizing the moment, DeSantis extended a pointed invitation to disillusioned members of the New York Police Department, urging them to consider a new home—and career—in the Sunshine State.

Taking to X on Wednesday, DeSantis reminded officers that Florida not only welcomes law enforcement but rewards them for making the move.

“The $5k recruitment bonus we give to new officers will be utilized by a number of these NYPD officers,” the governor wrote. “There is no reason to risk your life serving when the mayor hates you and believes your department shouldn’t even exist.”

The offer wasn’t just rhetoric. In 2022, DeSantis signed legislation establishing a $5,000 recruitment bonus for law enforcement officers relocating to Florida from other states, part of a broader initiative to attract police officers amid national debates over policing and public safety.

At the time, much of the country was still reeling from the “defund the police” movement that gained traction during the George Floyd riots of 2020. That movement—characterized by widespread calls to strip funding from law enforcement—found vocal support among progressives like Mamdani, who has long been a critic of the NYPD.

In a December 2020 post on X, Mamdani condemned the department in striking terms: “In the last budget, the City Council tried to make the NYPD reduce its overtime budget by half. They simply refused. There is no negotiating with an institution this wicked & corrupt. Defund it. Dismantle it. End the cycle of violence.”

Mamdani’s comments reflect a broader ideological divide between the nation’s law enforcement community and a growing faction of left-wing politicians who see policing as part of the problem, not the solution. For DeSantis, that mindset represents precisely what’s wrong with cities like New York—and what Florida is determined to avoid.

While Mamdani and his supporters view police reform through the lens of systemic change, DeSantis and many others argue that the true “cycle of violence” originates not from law enforcement, but from criminals preying on innocent citizens. Police officers, they contend, are the ones standing between order and chaos—often at great personal risk.

That reality, DeSantis suggested, makes it impossible for officers to serve effectively in a city led by someone who, in his words, “hates” them.

“There’s no reason to risk your life in a city where leadership despises law enforcement,” one Florida lawmaker echoed in response to DeSantis’ post, which has garnered nearly 2 million views since Wednesday.

For DeSantis, the message is as much about principle as policy: Florida stands with law enforcement, while other states—led by progressive mayors like Mamdani—continue to push them away.

In a nation deeply divided over issues of crime and policing, DeSantis’ invitation serves both as a recruitment pitch and a political statement: in Florida, police officers aren’t the enemy—they’re the backbone of public safety.

As NYPD Faces Uncertain Future Under Mamdani, DeSantis Extends a Warm Welcome South

Critics of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ recruitment pitch to NYPD officers have noted one potential sticking point — the pay gap. Starting salaries for NYPD officers hover around $60,000 a year, while that figure represents roughly the average salary for police in Florida, according to Salary.com.

But for many, the intangible benefits of life and work in Florida may outweigh the financial trade-off. Beyond the obvious appeal of mild winters and sunshine, there’s also the comfort of serving under political leadership that supports law enforcement — not one that vilifies it.

With Zohran Mamdani now at the helm of New York City, many predict turbulent times ahead. His tenure, critics warn, could be disastrous for residents — and downright dangerous for NYPD officers who already face immense risks on the job.

As DeSantis bluntly put it, “There is no reason to risk your life serving when the mayor hates you and believes your department shouldn’t even exist.”

If the exodus begins, it might not be long before someone delivers the final message on their way out of the precinct:
“The last one to leave the NYPD, please turn out the lights.”