Division of Law Enforcement

On Jan. 10, 2019, Governor DeSantis issued an executive order transferring the Environmental Crimes Unit from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to DEP to align resources focused on environmental protection and to ensure strong enforcement of Florida’s environmental laws. With this transfer, the Division of Law Enforcement was created and went into effect July 1, 2019. The Division of Law Enforcement consists of the Environmental Crimes Unit and the Office of Emergency Response.

The division is responsible for enforcing environmental laws and responding to incidents where environmental impacts are reported or discovered. The Environmental Crimes Unit ensures compliance with environmental laws through inspections and enforcement. The unit works in conjunction with the Office of Emergency Response, which provides technical and on-site assistance to ensure threats to the environment and human safety are quickly and effectively addressed.

Division staff respond to incidents involving petroleum spills caused by vehicle accidents to chemical plant explosions to coastal oil spills. In addition, the division works with local public safety officials and emergency response contractors to minimize threats to the environment.