Florida sheriff's message for criminals trying to 'play' around in his county
Sheriff Carmine Marceno of Lee County has a threatening message for criminals trying to cause mayhem in the proximity of his jurisdiction - immediate jail.
Florida sheriffs have been making headlines of late for their no-nonsense approach amid liberal cities being accused of enacting pro-criminal policies such as eliminating cash bail and reducing incarceration. The Lee County sheriff is no exception.
Sheriff Carmine Marceno, originally in New York, is taking a hard line on criminals thinking they can "play" in his county, warning he will "hunt" them down. The sheriff blasted liberal cities for trying to tip toe around taking a hard line on criminal behavior.
"My message… is clear. If you think you can deal poison and commit crime, stay clear of Lee County and all the great state of Florida. We're ready, and we will absolutely find you, hunt you down, and charge you to force the extent of the law," he said in an interview with Fox News Digital.
He also said he was noticing that people on the far-left are fleeing New York and California, and go to Florida for the tone of safety set by the DeSantis administration. But then, they begin voting for the same political perspective that turned their towns into anarchy, the sheriff argued.
Sheriff Carmine Marceno of Lee County. (Lee County Sheriffs Office)
"They want to leave California. They want to leave New York. Okay. And then they come down to a state like Florida, where we are law and order, and they don't change their views," he said. "You left a place where there's havoc, where people can rob, steal, loot, do drugs in safe havens. And then you're upset that it's so bad there, and you come here and still do the same thing. Same action, same result."
The sheriff had a clear message for those who keep voting for the far-left policies – go back to the lawlessness you came from.
"I tell people all the time, and it's probably not popular to some. If you don't like living with law and order, have a nice day. Leave. Go back to where you came from because we don't want you here. We welcome everyone to our great state of Florida. But if you think lawlessness leads the way, if you believe that criminals should roam the streets and steal and rob and, God forbid, deal poison to the streets and kill innocent people, you're not the person we want here. You can go back and live with lawlessness."
The sheriff pointed out how people in New York are getting punched in the face in unmotivated attacks.
"The world has gone crazy," he said.
The sheriff routinely goes viral on TikTok for his massive drug busts and videos with him dancing with his SWAT team outside of the shut down drug dens.
Sheriff Marceno of Lee County executes drug bust. (Lee County Sheriff's Office)
Commenters called him "more gangster than gangsters" and "the best sheriff in America."
"Bro is taking out all the villains and making a diss track of them," another commentator said.
Since the sheriff was elected in 2018, he has executed nearly 800 search warrants and worked over 3,300 cases in narcotics, with just under 2,000 physical arrests.
He warned criminals trying to bring mayhem that they will be guaranteed a place at the Marceno Motel – a nickname the sheriff uses for the county jail.
The general tone from Florida sheriffs is drastically different than law enforcement agencies in other cities.
During a press conference in April 2022, Santa Rosa County Sheriff Bob Johnson said home invaders should ideally be shot.
"If someone is breaking into your house, you're more than welcome to shoot," he said. "We prefer you to do that, actually."
The comments have gone viral again in juxtaposition to a story in New York where a woman was arrested for trying to remove squatters from her property.
Sheriff Johnson began his career with the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office in 1993. (Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office)
Johnson told Fox News Digital in an interview that he stands by his comments and that it's a "no-brainer."
"I said [at the press conference] if you shoot accurately, and you kill the guy, you save taxpayers money. And I also said that if somebody gets killed during a home invasion, the odds of them re-offending are zero. And we like those odds, which we do," he told Fox News Digital.
Sheriff Grady Judd of Polk County has made headlines for telling gun-owning residents to turn robbers into "grated cheese."
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd has a warning for home invaders – you'll look like grated cheese.
The Florida sheriff told Fox News Digital that the idea the criminal justice system is racist is "fiction" and it makes him want to "throw up."
As for whether there may be pro-criminal voters in his county, the Lee County sheriff asked that they do not vote for him.
"I'Il tell people routinely, if you don't like that I stand for law and order, and you don't like that we incarcerate bad people, I'm not the person to vote for. I prefer you don't vote for me," he said.