Timeline for change: law enforcement preparing to crack down on internet cafes

When Florida Governor Rick Scott laid pen to paper, signing action aimed to ban internet cafes in to law, that set in motion the people who will make that ban happen.

Local law enforcement have been given full oversight on enforcing the new law, and Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper tells me he’s starting to put plans together.

“We’ll more than likely visit each site, present them the law, and make sure they comply,” he says.

Leeper just today received information from the Florida Sheriff’s Association better outlining the law and what it means for his department.  He says they’re now reviewing all of that and figuring out a timeline.

“We’ll give them an opportunity to shut their doors before we really do any enforcement,” he says.

Jacksonville Sheriff John Rutherford is putting together a plan as well.  While his office declined to comment specifically on their enforcement plan, I’m told the law will be enforced.  Clay County Sheriff Rick Beseler is meeting now with the local state attorney and says they will have more details in the coming days.

The Florida Sheriff’s Association tells me they will continue to give out more information to each county as it becomes available.  Executive Director Steve Casey gave me a statement reading, in part, “The Sheriffs will be working closely with their criminal justice partners to ensure full compliance with the law is achieved in the coming weeks.”

Leeper says it’s too early to know the exact timeline, or all the smaller details like how much time they will give the sites to get in compliance with the new law.

“Let them know what they need to abide by and then give them an opportunity to do that before we shut their doors,” he says.

Three cafes shut in Nassau in the Allied Veterans of the World sting. He wasn’t sure exactly how many remain, but plans to visit them all very soon.