Seminole deputies join 270-mile ride honoring fallen officers' families

Seminole County deputies joined a 270-mile police-escorted ride this week that is being driven as much by grief as endurance, with this year’s Florida Tour de Force set up to benefit the families of Florida law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty in 2024. The five-day ride links North Miami Beach to Daytona Beach Shores and puts Seminole County’s name on a statewide show of support that reaches beyond ceremony.

The 30th annual ride began Monday, April 13, at the North Miami Beach Police Department, 16901 NE 19th Avenue, and is scheduled to finish Friday, April 17, in Daytona Beach Shores. Organizers say riders cover roughly 270 to 270-plus miles at a moderate pace of about 15 to 17 mph, averaging 50 to 55 miles a day. The route passes through eight counties and more than 40 law enforcement jurisdictions, with daily starts set for 10 a.m. and a first-day stop in Boynton Beach.

For Seminole County, the ride connects local deputies to a mission that is familiar across Central Florida: supporting the families left behind when officers do not return home. The Seminole County Sheriff’s Office has taken part in the event in prior years, including a seven-member team in the 25th annual ride and another appearance in the 28th annual event. That continuity gives the county a visible role in a tradition built around remembrance as much as mileage.

The Tour de Force is fully supported and escorted by police, and organizers say it traditionally ends with presentations of checks and ride memorabilia at the Florida Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial in Tallahassee for surviving family members of fallen heroes. That final stop turns the ride’s 270 miles into something more than a fund-raiser: it becomes a rolling tribute that ties South Florida to the state capital and underscores the cost borne by law enforcement families from Seminole County to the Panhandle.

For residents watching a Seminole County deputy field on a local street or respond to a call, the ride is a reminder that the risks of the job are shared across agencies, counties and generations. By the time riders reach Daytona Beach Shores, they will have turned a week on the road into direct support for the children, spouses and parents of Florida officers killed in 2024.