Florida Wildlife Commission responds to reports it “investigates” critics

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission is speaking out about published reports which charge the agency of so-called “secret surveillance” of agency critics.

When contacted about the reports, the FWC sent Fox 49 News the following 2 statements:

“The Orlando Sentinel and Miami Herald recently mischaracterized the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Division of Law Enforcement (DLE). To be clear, the DLE is responsible for ensuring the safety of FWC staff, Commissioners, and members of the public at meetings and at FWC facilities across the state, and it carries out that responsibility lawfully, professionally, and within the authority granted by state and federal law. Claims that the FWC misuses or weaponizes its law enforcement authority are false. To clarify, DLE staff do not access Driver and Vehicle Information Database (DAVID) records for all attendees before public meetings. Access to DAVID is permitted only for legitimate law enforcement purposes and is governed by strict state and federal requirements. The FWC complies with the applicable user agreements and all legal requirements governing access to and use of DAVID records, including 18 U.S.C. 2721(b)(1) and section 119.0712(2), Florida Statutes. Additional information about the Driver Privacy Protection Act is available from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles at: https://www.flhsmv.gov/privacy-statement/driver-privacy-protection-act/. Threats concerning the harming of officers, staff and Commissioners are taken seriously and is why it’s imperative that law enforcement works to ensure public safety by monitoring, preventing, and assessing potential security risks to maintain safe public spaces.

The FWC values public participation and stakeholder engagement and remains committed to providing a safe, secure, and welcoming environment for everyone attending public meetings while carrying out our public safety responsibilities with integrity and professionalism.”

The FWC also released the following statement:

“The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission takes the concerns raised in recent reporting seriously. That reporting has called into question how — and why — members of our Division of Law Enforcement utilized the Driver and Vehicle Information Database, known as DAVID. DAVID is a restricted state system, available to law enforcement for legitimate official purposes, that holds sensitive personal information, including driver and vehicle records and home addresses. The questions raised are specific: whether that access was appropriate in cases involving Floridians who have posed a threat or concern to this agency. Some have spoken at our public meetings or publicly criticized this agency and its commissioners. Those are serious questions, and they deserve a direct and transparent response.

Let us begin with a principle we will not compromise: every Floridian has the right to speak at our public meetings, to petition this agency, and to disagree with our decisions and our commissioners. We support that right without reservation. Taking part in the public process should never carry a personal cost.

FWC is a unique agency in that we are very public facing. We manage millions of acres of wildlife management areas. We manage thousands of miles of rivers, lakes, and shoreline. We have many different types of stakeholders that all have an interest in our agency – hunters, fishers, hikers, boaters, wildlife watchers, etc.

FWC conducts workshops, public meetings on Wildlife Management Areas management plans, stakeholder meetings, outreach events for adults and children, rule development meetings, in addition to four Commission meetings per year. All these meetings are held in public forums, allowing members of the public and stakeholders to address the Commission with their opinions on the matter at issue. Additionally, law enforcement officers have daily interaction with the public; many biologists and other staff have public interaction on a frequent basis.

Sometimes those stakeholders all agree on various issues, but not always. The issues that come before the Commission are at times controversial, and that means stakeholders on each side of the issue are passionate about their position. This can lead to safety and operational concerns that require vigilance to ensure the protection of all meeting participants.

Taking threats seriously is common sense and requires preparedness and planning. Keeping the public, our staff, and our Commissioners safe is a very real and critical responsibility. We included a small sample of serious threats on various social media platforms that we have received because of FWC’s work. One of the most egregious on the list was during the debate over the bear hunt, when commissioners and staff received threats such as “don’t let it kill him, let him live totally paralyzed and in agony for many years to come.”

In addition to these threats, additional examples include:

Employees have been doxed (i.e., information requested for two employees and their home addresses were made public).

Calls have been received requesting specific information as to the location of offices in specific buildings.

People targeted a commissioner’s business by setting up a protest and intentionally leaving negative reviews to try to influence his vote.

Due to these and other types of actions, the DAVID inquiry was conducted for public safety purposes. We believe that multiple DAVID inquiries were conducted in conjunction with recurring Commission events and public safety planning that are consistent with legitimate law enforcement practices. Assessing credible threats to the people who attend our meetings and work in our facilities is a legitimate and lawful function of law enforcement, and we take every threat seriously.

FWC must balance these threats with our need to continue to operate in the public. Situational awareness, safety assessments, and safety planning are a must in order for FWC to continue its mission.

We thank the Floridians who participate in the process and who see the value of every person who works or volunteers with FWC. We all have a role in making Florida a national leader in conservation and outdoor recreation and helping ensure our natural resources remain accessible for future generations.

That work must stay within the limits of the law, and it must respect the privacy of every Floridian. Protecting people and protecting rights are not competing goals, and we intend to honor both.”

Fox 49 News is still gathering information on this story. We will update our reporting as we learn new facts.