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Police ask for more cash to fight Florida hotel crime
Police in Florida have proposed extra spending on public safety following a spate of robberies in tourist hotels in Orlando.
There have been over a dozen robberies targeting hotels and restaurants in the area in recent weeks, all of which are believed to have been carried out by the same armed gang.
Police are now concerned the robberies could endanger Central Florida’s reputation as a safe place to visit.
The Fraternal Order of Police asked the Florida Legislature to let local councils spend some of the money raised by the local hotel tax to fund public safety improvements.
The Police group has pointed out that revenues from the hotel tax are required by law to be invested in initiatives that promote and support tourism.
The move is likely to face resistance from Florida’s influential tourism industry which has fought similar plans in the past to use tourism tax dollars for anything other than marketing expenses in driving more business to the Sunshine State.
Jim Preston, president of the Fraternal Order of Police in Florida, said police, fire and ambulance services invest lots of money and resources protecting tourist areas.
"I think it’s reasonable that some of those tourist-tax dollars should be going to those agencies to help offset those costs," he said.
It was also revealed that the Orange County Sheriff department spends around $7 million annually just on policing the International Drive tourist area in Orlando.
The hotel tourist tax which is set at 6% of the cost of a hotel room, is a major revenue generator for the Orlando area.
Orange County raised over $190 million in tax revenue, much of which was spent on marketing for the Visit Orlando campaign and for paying off construction costs of the Orange County Convention Center.
By TravelMole US editor Ray Montgomery
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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