Attorney General Pam Bondi, along with Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Rick Swearingen and Florida Department of Education Commissioner Pam Stewart, today announced the launch of Fortify Florida, a suspicious activity reporting app. The app is now available to students across the state.
“When I spoke to parents, teachers and students following the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School tragedy, I learned there was a gap in communication between law enforcement agencies and school officials,” said Attorney General Bondi. “After Parkland, I made it my mission to ensure that when students provide information that could potentially save lives, there would be a centralized tool they could use to quickly send that information to the right authorities. FortifyFL is designed to do just that.”
During the final weeks of the 2018 Legislative Session, Attorney General Bondi worked to have language included in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act to fund the development of a mobile suspicious-activity reporting tool that allows students and the community to relay information anonymously concerning unsafe, potentially harmful, dangerous, violent, or criminal activities, or the threat of these activities, to appropriate public safety agencies and school officials.
Attorney General Bondi worked with students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School to name the app and create a logo. The students chose the name FortifyFL as the purpose of the app truly represents the definition of the word fortify—to strengthen and protect against attack.
As required by the Act, Attorney General Bondi, along with partners from FDLE and DOE, worked together to develop a platform that could be used by students of any grade level as well as parents, teachers and law enforcement.
“Awareness is an important part of preventing threats in Florida,” said FDLE Commissioner Rick Swearingen. “FortifyFL allows students, parents and teachers to feel secure reporting possible crimes, threats or unsafe situations anonymously through an easy-to-use app.”
“Schools should be safe places where students, educators and visitors can experience and share the joy of learning without fear,” said DOE Commissioner Pam Stewart.” Unfortunately, the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School serves as a reminder that we must remain vigilant at all times. The FortifyFL app makes it simple for anyone to report anonymously school safety concerns, and I urge all Floridians to download the app today”.
The FortifyFL app is available for download in the Apple App Store and Google Play. Tips can also be submitted online at GetFortifyFL.com.
