WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Keeping students safe at school may start right with the cell phone in your hand. The Palm Beach County School District Police chief encourages parents and students to download apps that give them an easy and fast way to connect with law enforcement.
“First of all, just like I am school safety,” Chief Frank Kitzerow says, “you are school safety.”
Chief Kitzerow recommends starting with FortifyFL. With FortifyFL, users across the state can report immediate threats and suspicious behavior, as well as make 9-1-1 calls through the app.
Click here for more information on FortifyFL.
The information goes directly to the appropriate law enforcement agencies and school officials. Photos and videos can be included with the tips.
“When you see something out of the ordinary or you hear a threat or whatever, those are the things, let us know,” says Chief Kitzerow. Florida Department of Law Enforcement officials also have access to the information shared through FortifyFL and can use it to investigate possible statewide trends.
The StudentProtect app is another option. Similar to FortifyFL, StudentProtect allows users to report immediate threats, suspicious activity and bullying to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. PBSO then sends the information to school police. The tips are anonymous. Users can make 9-1-1 calls and two-way communication is available through the app as well.
Click here for more information on StudentProtect.
Both the FortifyFL app and StudentProtect app are available in the App Store and in Google Play.