ORANGE COUNTY SHERIFF MISLED COUNTY COMMISSIONERS: FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND LOCAL FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE STATISTICS REVEAL THE TRUTH ON DEPUTY STAFFING CRISIS AND DATA DISCREPANCIES
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ORLANDO, ORANGE COUNTY, FL
MAY 28, 2025
Bill Moore, candidate for Orange County Sheriff and a 21-year law enforcement veteran, wrote a detailed report to Orange County Board of County Commissioners (OCBOCC), urging immediate and transparent action to address this crisis, which he says threatens public safety and undermines trust in local government. Moore is calling on county leaders and residents to closely scrutinize the upcoming 2025 budget presentation by Sheriff Mina, following a pattern of misleading claims made during last year’s 2024 budget presentation.
Moore stated his position, “I will be the advocate for deputies to ensure their voices are heard and not retaliated against. I will answer the call from residents demanding that 911 calls are answered promptly and neighborhoods receive proactive patrols. Unfortunately, proactive patrols can only happen with adequate numbers of uniform patrol deputies on our streets. I know where the problems are and I will fix them.”
On July 11, 2024, Sheriff Mina told the Orange County Board of County Commissioners and the public that the Orange County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) was doing “pretty good” compared to nationwide staffing levels. The sheriff downplayed concerns about vacancies, claiming the agency had hired 160 deputies in 2023, planned to hire the same amount in 2024, and that OCSO maintained staffing levels close to the national average stating, “We are…uh…have hundred eighty-one (181) uh, vacancies uh for deputies, that’s less than 10%, and if you compare that nationwide law enforcement that’s actually pretty good.”
Despite Sheriff Mina’s public assurances in 2024 that OCSO was “pretty good” compared to national averages, multiple reliable sources, including the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 93 (FOP93) and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), document a significant staffing shortfall.
“Orange County is operating at just 1.05 deputies per 1,000 residents and even if the current 1,885 authorized positions were fully staffed, OCSO would still only manage 1.21 deputies per 1,000 residents. Orange County’s population is booming, and our law enforcement staffing hasn’t kept pace. Every delay puts our residents and deputies at risk,” said Moore.
Bill Moore’s report details discrepancies in staffing data reported by OCSO compared to FDLE records and FOP93 data.
“My analysis shows that Orange County is short 242 deputy sheriff positions based on the current authorized staffing level of 1,885 and to be “average” compared to other sheriff’s offices in the state, OCSO needs an additional 645 Uniform Patrol Deputy positions, a 34% staffing increase.”
Going further, Bill Moore underscores the need for an independent financial audit to ensure allocated staffing funds were properly spent and calls on County Commissioners to mandate the Orange County Sheriff to submit complete and verified staffing data under oath and at least one week prior to any budget presentation.
“Cooking the numbers to look good on paper doesn’t protect a single resident. Orange County deserves real data, not creative math,” said Moore.
The staffing crisis is more than a numbers game, according to Moore. “This chronic understaffing leads to burnout, high attrition, and slower emergency response,” he said. “It’s not just a budget concern; it’s a public safety emergency.”
Moore’s correspondence also outlines pathways for the OCBOCC to secure funding to meet adequate staffing levels based on Orange County’s total population since OCSO has jurisdiction over all law enforcement matters in the county. He proposes a phased-in approach to increase staffing by 645 Uniform Patrol Deputy positions over three years, using a combination of General Fund and Municipal Services Taxing Unit (MSTU) revenue, as well as exploring the potential of leveraging Tourism Development Tax (TDT) revenue should state law allow broader use for county services.
Key data from Moore’s analysis includes:
- Current staffing levels: 1,643 active deputies, 242 short of the authorized 1,885 positions (FOP93, May 2025).
- Statewide sheriff’s office staffing average: 1.65 deputies per 1,000 residents (FDLE, Retrieved May 2025).
- Orange County Sheriff’s Office ratio: Only 1.05 deputies per 1,000 residents based on the current estimated population of 1.56 million.
- Additional need: 645 more Uniform Patrol Deputy positions to meet state staffing averages.
Moore also calls for the release of all results and comments from the Sheriff’s own March 2025 internal survey, which revealed that nearly half of deputies would not recommend OCSO as a workplace and significant dissatisfaction with agency leadership and work environment. A copy of the sheriff’s email is included in the report to OCBOCC.
“The public deserves honest, accurate data and proactive solutions to these serious staffing challenges,” Moore emphasized. “As a candidate for Sheriff, I will continue to advocate for the resources and accountability necessary to keep our community safe and our deputies supported.”
A full copy of Moore’s letter to the Orange County Board of County Commissioners is available to download at MOOREFORSHERIFF.COM in the Press Release section of the campaign website. Interview requests can be made by sending an email to 
Link to Correspondence sent to Orange County Board of County Commissioners (PDF).
Link to this press release (PDF).
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REFERENCES
Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 93 Facebook Page
May 7, 2025
Spreadsheets with wage proposals and totals for deputies by class
URL: https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1180676003853940&set=a.526834725904741
URL: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1180677710520436&set=p.1180677710520436&type=3
Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 93 Facebook Page
September 1, 2022
Post and graphic showing 217 Sworn Vacancies
URL: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=554293489825531&set=pb.100057346544348.-2207520000&type=3
Board of County Commissioners Meetings
July 11, 2024
Segment 3: SHERIFF
URL: https://netapps.ocfl.net/Mod/meetings/1
July 12, 2023
Segment 12: SHERIFF
URL: https://netapps.ocfl.net/Mod/meetings/1
Florida Department of Law Enforcement
Criminal Justice Agency Profile (CJAP) Report
Statewide Ratios
URL: https://www.fdle.state.fl.us/CJSTC/Publications/CJAP/Statewide-Ratios
Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission (Florida)
CJSTC Forms (Form 60 – New Hire, Form 61 – Separation)
URL: https://www.fdle.state.fl.us/cjstc/publications/forms.aspx
Florida Administrative Rule Codes, 11B-27.002
URL: https://www.flrules.org/gateway/RuleNo.asp?ID=11B-27.002
CENSUS.GOV
QuickFacts
Population
Orange County, Florida
URL: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/orangecountyflorida/PST045224#PST045224
OCSO.COM
Court Security Section
URL: https://www.ocso.com/en-us/Services/Administrative-Services/Court-Services-and-Communications-Division/Court-Security-Section
GOVERNMENTJOBS.COM
Deputy Sheriff-Court Security Deputy (CSD) Full Time
URL: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/ocso/jobs/2526519/deputy-sheriff-court-security-deputy-csd
Deputy Sheriff-Court Security Deputy (CSD) Part Time
URL: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/ocso/jobs/2526577/deputy-sheriff-court-security-deputy-csd-part-time
FLYMCO.COM
Statsboard URL:https://assets.ctfassets.net/qiecpoxp4bka/6MOmgn0hr0rJVW2hoto2eh/ae536db7d5c7c4baaded1f21f047e6c5/Statsboard-20250402.pdf
