WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Senator Rick Scott issued the following statement applauding Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Rick Swearingen’s years of public service and hard work to keep Florida families safe.

Senator Rick Scott said, “Florida is a safer state thanks to the hard work, leadership and dedication to public safety that Rick Swearingen has shown throughout his career. When I was elected as Governor in 2010, I had the privilege of having Rick lead the security team tasked with watching over my family and saw firsthand his unwavering commitment to detail and safety. It was my honor to appoint Rick as director of the Capitol Police and then commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. At FDLE, Rick led Florida’s state law enforcement response to the horrific tragedies at Pulse in Orlando and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, as well as to hurricanes and other emergencies. In each of these unimaginably difficult assignments, he served our state with the utmost professionalism. Thanks to our hard work, and Rick’s leadership at FDLE, Florida’s crime rate has continued fall and reached record lows. I cannot thank Rick enough for his service to my family and the people of Florida. We wish him the very best in this next chapter of his life.”