In collaboration with the state of Florida, the School District of Palm Beach County is rolling out one more way to keep your children safe at school.
Students, parents, community members and School District staff are encouraged to download the FortifyFL app. FortifyFL is a suspicious activity reporting tool that allows you to instantly relay information to appropriate law enforcement agencies and school officials.
“We are all school safety,” School Police Chief Frank Kitzerow said. “This is just one way the community can pitch in to make sure that suspicious activity or threats on social media are reported to law enforcement.”
Making a threat on social media is a crime and is considered a second-degree felony in Florida. Threats made toward schools, regardless of the severity of the threat, will be taken seriously by authorities.
The app is quick and easy to navigate. Users can provide a description of the threat, as well as share pictures and videos all while remaining anonymous. Tips are reported to school administrators, school police, local law enforcement and state investigators.
“We monitor these tips 24 hours a day and in some cases, it is so urgent that School Police are handling the situation in the middle of the night,” Kitzerow said.
The app can be found in the iTunes store, Google Play store and bookmarked on school computers.