ORANGE COUNTY, FL - Bill Moore, a friend of Law Enforcement Today (LET) and candidate for Orange County sheriff, is calling on Florida legislators to amend the state’s drone statute (§ 934.50, F.S.) in light of the failed assassination attempt in July 2024 of then-candidate Donald Trump and last week’s successful killing of conservative icon Charlie Kirk.
In a press release, Moore explained that under current Florida law, licensed security officers are prohibited from scanning rooftops or elevated positions at rallies and civic events. This law would prevent protective drone sweeps that may have protected the attacks on Trump and Kirk, since in both cases, the attackers used elevated positions on top of buildings that would have been visible from the air.
Moore fears that, given the two attempts in the past 27 months, other would-be attackers may be emboldened to carry out copycat attacks on targets.
“The 2026 legislative session is still months away, but Governor DeSantis has the authority to issue an executive order to provide safety measures in the interim. Florida law at least needs to afford the ability for individuals to privately hire licensed professionals to sweep the area before taking the stage and while on stage.”
Under Moore’s proposed legislation, it would:
- Authorize licensed security officers and contracted FAA Part 107 remote pilots to conduct rooftop and elevated threat assessments before and after public events.
- Permit immediate drone deployment during hostile incidents without waiting for law enforcement direction.
- Provide Good-Samaritan-style immunity from civil and criminal liability for good-faith operators acting to save lives.
- Maintain strict privacy safeguards, including a 30-day retention limit unless images are evidence of a crime.
“Seconds save lives,” Moore said. “This isn’t about surveillance, it’s about protecting people.”
Law Enforcement Today reached out to Moore, who told us that he believes, if the proposed legislation is implemented, it should be named after Charlie Kirk.
“Naming this legislation the ‘Charlie Kirk Aerial Protection Act’ is a fitting tribute to honor a man who challenged others through questions, not insults, and proving that strong ideas don’t need hateful words,” Moore said.
Moore believes the time saved by having drones deployed could mean the difference between life and death.
“Seconds can mean the difference between tragedy and survival. Drones give us those seconds back,” he said. ‘I wore a badge for over two decades, and I know hesitation costs lives. This law makes sure hesitation isn’t written into the statute.”
Moore said he believes Kirk’s death was senseless, a feeling that should be held no matter what your political position is.
“Public service should never come with a target on your back. This bill takes aim at the threat, not the discourse,” he said. “This is about preventing the next rooftop sniper, not about politics. Safety should never be partisan.”
Moore has established a poll whereby Florida people can ask Gov. DeSantis and the Florida legislature to take action to close the gap in the current Florida statute. It notes that the current law treats protective sweeps as “surveillance,” even when the goal is to prevent a sniper attack or provide life-saving information during a hostile incident. Aside from the incidents mentioned above, the poll suggests such surveillance may have been helpful during the Marjory Stone Douglas school shooting in Parkland, FL., and the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, FL.
Moore, a retired Orlando Police Department detective with 21 years of service, is also an FAA-certified SUAS Remote (drone) Pilot.
Moore is running for sheriff against John Mina, who, earlier this year, was the subject of two articles in Law Enforcement Today. We reported that Mina had instructed his deputies to clear any assistance with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or other immigration officials through him first.
“Any ICE/immigration related calls must be cleared through the chain of command,” meaning deputies needed to get permission before arresting any illegal aliens, including those who committed violent crimes.
The Gateway Pundit reported at the time that Mina’s directive upset deputies under his command, according to a former Orange County Sheriff’s Office investigator, James Copenhaver.
Mina’s directive came after Gov. Ron DeSantis announced an agreement between Florida and ICE to cooperate on illegal alien enforcement efforts. It directed state and local Florida law enforcement officers to partner with ICE under their 287(g) program, which authorizes ICE to delegate them to work specified immigration officer functions under ICE oversight.
Mina, it should be noted, bowed at the altar of George Floyd in 2020, along with Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolon, who took to their knees in solidarity with Black Lives Matter. That action led the Fraternal Order of Police to unanimously vote not to endorse Mina in his reelection bid.
Shortly after our article, we received an email from an anonymous source within the Orange County Sheriff’s Office from an official Orange County Sheriff’s Office address. The document quoted an email sent by Mina to his staff. The email, in short, said that the sheriff’s office “will continue to enforce all laws within our authority, including those that relate to unlawful immigration.” The email further noted that Mina had “signed a 287(g) Agreement committing to partner with the Department of Homeland Security by providing deputies who will be trained to work as task force agents with DHS.” Sounds commendable. The original article was amended to include the email Mina sent to his office.
A week later, LET received an email asking if LET had been “threatened” to amend the original article. LET can assure its readers that we don’t allow ourselves to be bullied. We replied that we had not been “threatened,” at which time the source told us he had some information that would be important to us for context.
Mina, we were told, has something of a “split” personality, pretending to be cooperating with ICE and other immigration agencies publicly. At the same time, he instructs his deputies to “clear” any ICE/immigration calls through the chain of command.
We were then contacted by Moore, who had previously run against Mina for sheriff. He confirmed that Mina has been playing both sides of the immigration issue. Still, he publicly was acting tough on immigration to remain in the good graces of DeSantis, who had told conservative talk show host Mark Levin that “every county sheriff” signed the 287(g) agreement.
Moore directed us to a February 2025 News Channel 13 article where Mina said in a press conference that local agencies like Orange County shouldn’t get involved in immigration-related activities.
“That is the job of the federal government. I know many sheriffs share the sentiment. We are focused on violent crime. Now, certainly, if there is someone here in this country illegally that is a violent criminal, I’m just like everyone else–I don’t want to see them here either.”
A retired Orange County sheriff told LET that Mina puts politics above all else.
“Mina is a politician who, time and time again, has shown that he favors his political positions over [those of] his deputies. I don’t know one person who trusts him or supports him. It’s sad,” the source said.
Moore, who puts law enforcement above all else, told us in March that Mina was playing both sides.
“Sheriff Mina is attempting to appease both sides,” Moore said. “On one hand, reassuring immigrant communities that they are not actively seeking out undocumented individuals, while on the other hand, signaling to law-and-order advocates that they are working with ICE when necessary.”
One deputy put it succinctly:
“[T]he sooner this hack joins the likes of [former Miami police chief] Art Acevedo on CNN, the sooner cops can get back to doing police work–not pandering to a democrat in a police uniform.”
This is why Law Enforcement Today heartily supports Bill Moore to be the next Sheriff in Orange County.
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