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The Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement is an unusual and proud group of state law enforcement officers dedicated to protecting Florida’s agriculture and its consumers through professional law enforcement. In addition to being the first line of defense at Florida’s borders in protecting agriculture, we also handle cases involving unfair and deceptive trade practices against consumers, theft and related crimes against the state’s agricultural industry, food safety, wildland arson investigations and protection of the state’s natural resources.
Our officers utilize Gamma-Ray equipment vehicles, which are the next generation in protection of Florida’s agricultural industries, and which also supplement border protection for Domestic Homeland Security. These mobile Vehicle and Cargo Inspection System (VACIS) scan live images of commercial vehicles and containers to allow officers to determine anomalies that may warrant a physical inspection of the load. Additionally, in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Detector Dog Training Center, AgLaw deploys detection canines at various interdiction stations in an ongoing enhanced effort to protect the state’s fresh food supply. These specially trained canines detect various meat and plant material that may harbor infectious disease and/or plant diseases which could devastate Florida’s farming community, as well as public health.
Submitted by Chief Cheryl DeGroff, Bureau of Administrative Services / Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement (FL)
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