THE LICENSING LEDGER

1 T H E L I CE N S I N G L E D G E R. Private Investigative, Security and Recovery Industry News VISIT US ONLINE. December 2021 (Volume 33, Number 2). Division News: The Latest from the Division of LICENSING Message from the Director 2021 has certainly been an interesting year! We thought we would be done with the COVID-19 pandemic by this time, but the variants keep coming. We appreciate your patience as we've worked through the many issues created by this pandemic. As always, our top priority is the health and safety of our staff and our licensees. In spite of these challenges, we have continued to work hard toward speeding up the processing of 493 applications .

2 Thanks to the efforts of Annette McDaniel and her team, we are now processing applications in less than 10. days. Appointments in regional offices are available on a same-day or next-day basis, and the customer-based appointment system we implemented in March has been a great success. On behalf of DOL, I wish you all a warm and safe holiday season and look forward to a bright and prosperous New Year. Stephen D. Hurm Director, Division of LICENSING Commissioner of Agriculture Emergency Orders Regarding COVID-19. All emergency orders that waived expiration dates and late fees between March 20, 2020, and June 26, 2021, have expired.

3 If you hold a concealed Weapon or firearm license that expired during the emergency order period, you are eligible to renew until December 23, 2021. Please act now. If we do not receive your renewal application on or before December 23, 2021, you will need to apply for a new license . You can renew your concealed Weapon or firearm license online. If you hold any Chapter 493 license that expired during the emergency order period and you have not renewed that license , it is considered permanently expired and cannot be renewed. If we did not receive your renewal application on or before September 26, 2021, you will need to apply for a new license .

4 You can apply for a new Class D Security Officer license online. You can schedule an appointment to apply for any new Chapter 493 license at one of our regional offices. Please contact our Public Inquiry Center at (850) 245-5691 or through Live Chat with questions. Highlights from the Private Investigation, Recovery, and Security Advisory Council Meetings Friday, August 13, 2021. Chairman John D'Agata presented his remarks to the council: The pandemic, which began in 2019, has placed a burden on everyone, but especially on Florida residents and the industries represented by the council. Businesses continue to struggle with the current labor market and finding quality personnel is becoming increasingly challenging.

5 The industry is concerned about firms and agencies that are providing services without being registered or licensed. There are also concerns about forwarding,' which is when an out-of-state company works in Florida under the umbrella of a registered entity. Industry representatives continue to have conversations with the Department of Revenue to address concerns about these businesses not properly paying state taxes. The expiration of the Emergency Order eliminated the ability of schools to offer virtual, online training. The industry has experienced some challenges around this suspension and advocates for reaching out to legislators to try to establish a statutory provision for allowing virtual training.

6 Collaboration of members of this council, their represented associations, and the division will be crucial going forward. Director Steve Hurm presented the council with his Division of LICENSING status report. The report included the following highlights: The pandemic has been challenging for the division. Several regional offices have had to close for cleaning after a covid exposure. The division continues to require appointments at the regional offices and requests that all visitors wear masks. The division is doing all that it can to protect both staff and customers and appreciates the industry's patience and understanding.

7 The division is experiencing the same struggles as the regulated industries when it comes to hiring. Most division employees continue to work remotely, and the division is expanding the availability of remote work outside of Tallahassee. This has broadened the field of potential candidates for open positions. As of July 31, 2021, the division has million active licensees. Licenses issued under Chapter 493, are down by about 45,000 licenses. This is partly due to licenses expiring after the Emergency Order expired. The number of applications received by the division has stabilized. From July 2020 to June 2021, the division received an average of 41,493 new and renewal applications per month.

8 This was a 51% increase in applications , but the division did not get a 51% increase in staff. As of July 2021, the number of applications dropped to between 32,000 35,000 per month. Licenses regulated by Chapter 493, are being issued in less than 10. days. The Public Inquiry Center (PIC) has experienced an unprecedented volume. In January of 2021, PIC received an average of 3,800 contacts per day with only 31 full time staff handling those calls and chats. By July 2021, the number had dropped to 2,500 contacts per day. Prior to the pandemic, PIC received 1,500 to 1,800 contacts per day. The division has requested 83 additional staff to help with the increased volume of calls and applications .

9 Regarding virtual training, the division now has data to show that it can be done successfully. The expiration of the Emergency Order eliminated the division's ability to authorize online training. The division will now be forced to take disciplinary action against any schools still offering virtual training. Division of LICENSING Newsletter F L O R I D A D E P A R T M E N T O F A G R I C U LT U R E A N D C O N S U M E R S E R V I C E S. Page 2 of 18. John Raymaker, Chief of the Bureau of Regulation and Enforcement, reported that the division has taken disciplinary action by suspending 488 licenses and revoking 46 licenses.

10 The division has handled more than 2,400 letters, including employee action reports. Greg Gibson, Chief of Investigative Services in the Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement, reported that between May 2021 and July 2021, OALE investigators initiated 995 cases and completed 667 cases. Of those cases, 485 cases were referred to the division's legal team. This includes 5 cases of unlicensed activity. Industry representatives raised the following: Chris Burns of AGR Recovery stated that division staff has been phenomenal in assisting with licensure issues. He inquired whether there was any progress on developing programs to get investigators more involved with unlicensed activity.