ICYMI:A look back at 2024 with Florida’s road safety boss

Article Attribute: Politico-Florida Playbook  By: Kimberly Leonard 12/18/24

Good morning and welcome to Wednesday.

The department that DAVE KERNER, the state highway safety director, oversees has been tied to some of the biggest stories in Florida this year.

Gov. RON DESANTIS tapped investigators from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to help with a probe into the second assassination attempt against President-elect DONALD TRUMP. The department was called upon to help keep spring break under control and to quell pro-Palestian protests at colleges. State troopers were dispatched to the Texas border and the agency oversaw new restrictions on licenses, both for undocumented immigrants and transgender Floridians.

That’s on top of working to keep Florida roads safer. At the time of an interview earlier this month, Kerner had just presided over the pursuit of a second-degree murder suspect in Miami. Florida’s troopers are trained in the techniques every year, he said, “terminating pursuits quickly while apprehending the offender.”

Kerner talked about the latest for the department in a wide-ranging interview with Playbook, saying he worked to motivate staff to be “proactive and aggressive” with their time and skillset when enforcing the law. Here are some highlights from the interview:

— On tech advances: The department is using drones and newer airplanes with powerful camera systems that help them patrol the roads to check for impaired driving or racing. It also has a limited pilot program at a tax collector’s office that’s testing facial-recognition technology on a voluntary basis, to confirm people’s identity when they check in.

Kerner started an AI working group to better understand the technology and see how it might help his department.

— On the state’s investigation into the assassination attempt against Trump: Kerner couldn’t say much, other than to promise that “substantive updates” would be coming “in the near future.” He praised DeSantis for kicking off the investigation, saying it would go “beyond what’s obvious to us as regular, everyday citizens in the news.”

Kerner also commended the criminal investigators as among the “finest in the state” that have shown they can work on “what would traditionally be not in our wheelhouse in terms of investigations.”

— On whether he approved the anti-marijuana amendment ad featuring Colonel Gary Howze of the Florida Highway Patrol standing alongside a state trooper vehicle: Kerner acknowledged the two of them had a conversation about Howze appearing in the ad, but said he didn’t believe Howze needed his approval.

“It was an issue we were both very passionate about, and he wanted to find a way to be impactful,” Kerner said. “And I supported him 1,000 percent, and I’m proud of him for his decision to voluntarily speak out on what we think is a very important issue when it comes to traffic safety and saving lives.”

— On criticisms that the Republican Party of Florida paid for the ad: Howze would have had the same message regardless of which party was taping, Kerner said. He added that he shared Howze’s concerns about impaired driving, finding it’s nearly always a factor in deadly car crashes.

“In our hearts, as law enforcement officers and professionals, we felt compelled to talk about precisely what the governor was attacking, which was the lack of control and regulation of what can be a very impairing substance,” Kerner said.

— On Trooper, the dog abandoned during Hurricane Milton: “I don’t know that I’ve ever had so many people reach out to me about an issue,” Kerner said. “I’ve been in the news, I’ve won elections, and there are times where a lot of people that I haven’t spoken to in a long time reach out to me, but this, by far and away — just managing my phone for those couple hours — was not manageable. Most importantly, besides Trooper’s life, it brought a lot of needed attention to animal shelters, animal rescues and the dire circumstances that they operate under because of the need.”

— His message to Floridians during holiday travel: “Take your time. Arrive alive. That’s not just a motto, it’s a way of life,” he said. “We know that people love to be in Florida. We know we have a lot of people here. Anticipate that there’s going to be extra time to travel, and don’t let the actions of others, traffic or any frustrations that you have change the way that you operate your vehicle safely.”

WHERE’S RON? Gov. DeSantis is holding a press conference on “law and order” in Stuart, Florida, at 10 a.m. He’ll be joined by Kerner, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, Florida Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass and Martin County Sheriff William Snyder.

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The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) provides highway safety and security through excellence in service, education, and enforcement. Learn more on our website.

The Florida Highway Patrol strives to achieve core values of courtesy, service, and protection. It is FHP’s job to help ensure the safety and welfare of millions of Florida’s residents and visitors every day.

To learn more about FHP or how to become one of Florida’s Finest, visit BeATrooper.com.