The Florida Police Chiefs Association is proud to announce that Representative Carlos Valdes of Miami, Florida, is the recipient of a 1998 Florida Police Chiefs Association Legislative Award. The presentation of the award will take place during the September 24, 1998, meeting of the Dade County Association of Chiefs of Police.
During the 1997 Legislative Session, Representative Valdes sponsored legislation that abolished the Sentencing Guidelines and created the Florida Criminal Punishment Code. The Sentencing Guidelines, which had been in existence since 1983, were responsible for inadequate sentences for convicted criminals and a cause of great concern and dissatisfaction to the public and law enforcement officials. The new Criminal Punishment Code allows for longer, more meaningful sentences, and represents a dramatic change in the way Florida treats convicted offenders.
During the 1998 session Representative Valdes assisted the Association in achieving its primary legislative objective, a measure designed to secure additional training funds for local law enforcement agencies. In addition to this important legislation, Representative Valdes provided assistance to the Florida Police Chiefs Association on a variety of issues throughout the legislative session.
Presently in his fifth term in the Legislature, Representative Valdes was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1988. He has served in that capacity with distinction, and is currently Chair of the House Business Development and International Trade Committee. In his private life, Representative Valdes is a realtor and mortgage broker, and is active in numerous charitable and civic organizations.