Jay Collins to make public safety announcement in Fort Lauderdale
Collins used a Fort Lauderdale appearance at the Florida Police Benevolent Association to deepen his law-and-order pitch and court Broward law-enforcement voters.
Jay Collins took his public safety message to one of South Florida’s most important law-enforcement venues Friday night, appearing at the Florida Police Benevolent Association’s banquet hall in Fort Lauderdale as his campaign worked to turn police support into political momentum in Broward County.
The event at 6:30 p.m. at the PBA Banquet Hall put Collins in front of an organization that describes itself as the voice of Florida’s law enforcement and says it is built from county-wide, regional, local and statewide chapters. That matters in Broward, where sheriffs, deputies and corrections officers can help shape the tone of a Republican primary and where endorsements carry real weight with voters focused on crime, staffing and public order.
Collins, Florida’s lieutenant governor and a former U.S. Army Green Beret, entered the 2026 governor’s race on January 12 and has framed his campaign around law and order, border security and conservative priorities. His team has recently highlighted additional backing from law enforcement and first responders, including endorsements from Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells and Hernando County professional firefighters. Collins is seeking to succeed term-limited Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The Fort Lauderdale stop also fit a pattern of close ties between Collins and police groups in South Florida. On January 27, he addressed the South Florida Police Benevolent Association and swore in President Steadman Stahl and the group’s new executive board, a public show of alignment with one of the region’s most visible police organizations. That history gave Friday’s appearance added political weight, particularly in Broward, where the county’s crime profile has remained a potent issue.
Crime data summaries tied to the FBI Crime Data Explorer show Broward County posted violent and property crime rates well above national averages over the 2019-2023 period. In a county as populous and politically important as Broward, that backdrop gives Collins a ready-made audience for a message built around police backing, stronger enforcement and a promise to keep safety at the center of the governor’s race.
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