The Florida Police Chiefs Association Wednesday joined the opposition to next week's vote on Amendment 1, the proposal to increase the homestead exemption and make the Save Our Homes tax cap provision portable. Juno Beach Police Chief Skip Clark, president of the group, said the proposal would worsen "the disparities and inequities embedded in the current property tax structure."

The chiefs who spoke at a Tallahassee news conference said they agree the tax structure is unfair and they were careful to avoid criticizing the proposal's No. 1 cheerleader, Gov. Charlie Crist. But they said that if the tax proposal passes next Tuesday, it could mean reductions in law enforcement personnel in Florida.

"While its future fiscal impacts on Florida's infrastructure is
unknown, what we do know is the impact on law enforcement capabilities,
which will be immediate and severely cut," Clark said.

Crist on Wednesday said he did not think such fears are warranted,
because city and county officials who are accountable to their
constituents would only reduce police protection as a last resort.