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qA <br />Sheriff Eric Flowers <br />1** * Indian• Office <br />f <br />June 13, 2023 <br />The Honorable Joe Earman <br />Indian River Board of County Commissioners <br />180127th Street <br />Vero Beach, FL 32960-3388 <br />Re: Forfeiture Trust Fund <br />Dear Chairman Earman: <br />Florida Statute 932.7055, the Florida Contraband Forfeiture Act, provides that proceeds and interest <br />earned from the forfeiture of real or personal property shall be used for providing additional equipment <br />and may not be used to meet normal operating expenses of the law enforcement agency. These funds are <br />the direct result of our deputies' diligent law enforcement efforts and are derived mainly from drug <br />related offenses. None of the funds are derived from county tax dollars. <br />Additionally, the statute requires that no less than 25% of forfeiture proceeds within a fiscal year must be <br />expended or donated to support the operation of any drug treatment, drug abuse education, drug <br />prevention, crime prevention, safe neighborhood, or school resource officer programs. The law <br />enforcement agency has the discretion to determine which progam(s) will receive the designated <br />proceeds. <br />Pursuant to the above statute, I am requesting that $215,034 from our Law Enforcement Trust Fund be <br />used to purchase equipment and support the programs and agencies listed below: <br />$204,534 to be used for the purchase of equipment and protection for both Law Enforcement and <br />Corrections, as well as life-saving supplies for the Indian River County public. <br />$1,000 will go to the Executive Roundtable of Indian River County, Inc. Their mission is to identify <br />solutions that will protect and enhance the lives of Indian River County children, individuals, families, <br />and seniors. <br />$1,000 will go to Treasure Coast Crime Stoppers to help solve crimes. Approximately 22% of all tips result <br />in arrests. Currently, many leads are being investigated. <br />$1,000 will go to A Child is Missing to support their high-speed telephone alert system. This alert system <br />is initiated within Indian River County when a child is reported missing. <br />$1,000 will go to the Mental Health Collaborative. Their mission is to establish a continuation of care for <br />mental health. Their goal is to increase access, decrease duplication and facilitate community wide <br />support of mental health issues. <br />377 <br />