Established in 2000, the Florida Law Enforcement Liaison (LEL) Program operates under the Institute of Police Technology and Management (IPTM) and is funded by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The primary mission of the Florida LEL Program is to support and partner with law enforcement agencies across the state to strengthen and enhance traffic safety initiatives. By promoting participation in national and state traffic safety campaigns, the program works to reduce crashes, fatalities, and serious injuries. To recognize the outstanding efforts of law enforcement agencies, encourage engagement, and promote a data-driven approach to enforcement, the program coordinates the annual Florida Law Enforcement Traffic Safety Challenge.

The Florida LEL Program is staffed by experienced law enforcement professionals, including retired officers and those continuing to serve as reserve or part-time officers. Each of Florida’s seven FDOT districts is supported by a full-time LEL, with overall coordination by the LEL Program Coordinator. Together, the team brings more than 200 years of law enforcement experience. A core responsibility of the LEL team is to recruit and encourage agency participation in high-visibility enforcement mobilizations to build a culture of effective and sustained traffic enforcement.

LELs also play an active role in Florida’s traffic safety coalitions and local Community Traffic Safety Teams (CTSTs). They assist agencies in securing and managing grant funding, facilitate the exchange of critical information such as officer training, crash data and trends, checkpoint planning, and legal updates, and support interagency coordination. LELs conduct training sessions and Local Area Network (LAN) meetings, and lead the implementation of high-visibility traffic safety campaigns including Click It or Ticket, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, and Operation Southern Slow Down.

Through this hands-on support and statewide coordination, the Florida LEL Program has significantly increased law enforcement participation in traffic safety initiatives. This ongoing engagement plays a direct role in reducing crashes, improving roadway safety, and saving lives.