943.082 - School Safety Awareness Program
Effective July 1, 2023 (Last updated in 2023)
The following statute regarding the mobile suspicious activity reporting tool is specifically required to be followed according to Florida’s charter school statute.
943.082 School Safety Awareness Program.—
(1)
In collaboration with the Department of Legal Affairs, the department shall competitively procure 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. As recommended by students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the program shall be named “FortifyFL.” At a minimum, the department must receive reports electronically through the mobile suspicious activity reporting tool that is available on both Android and Apple devices.
(2)
The reporting tool must notify the reporting party of the following information:
(a) That the reporting party may provide his or her report anonymously.
(b) That if the reporting party chooses to disclose his or her identity, that information shall be shared with the appropriate law enforcement agency and school officials; however, the law enforcement agency and school officials shall be required to maintain the information as confidential.
(c) That if, following an investigation, it is determined that a person knowingly submitted a false tip through FortifyFL, the Internet protocol (IP) address of the device on which the tip was submitted will be provided to law enforcement agencies for further investigation and the reporting party may be subject to criminal penalties under s. 837.05. In all other circumstances, unless the reporting party has chosen to disclose his or her identity, the report will remain anonymous.
(3)
Information reported using the tool must be promptly forwarded to the appropriate law enforcement agency or school official.
(4)
(a) Law enforcement dispatch centers, school districts, schools, and other entities identified by the department must be made aware of the mobile suspicious activity reporting tool.
(b) The district school board shall promote the use of the mobile suspicious activity reporting tool by advertising it on the school district website, in newsletters, on school campuses, and in school publications, by installing it on all mobile devices issued to students, and by bookmarking the website on all computer devices issued to students.
(5)
The department, in collaboration with the Division of Victim Services within the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of Safe Schools within the Department of Education, shall develop and provide a comprehensive training and awareness program on the use of the mobile suspicious activity reporting tool.
(6)
The identity of the reporting party received through the mobile suspicious activity reporting tool and held by the department, the Department of Education, law enforcement agencies, or school officials is confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. Any other information received through the mobile suspicious activity reporting tool and held by the department, the Department of Education, law enforcement agencies, or school officials is exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. These exemptions apply to any such records held by these agencies before, on, or after the effective date of this act. This subsection is subject to the Open Government Sunset Review Act in accordance with s. 119.15 and shall stand repealed on October 2, 2028, unless reviewed and saved from repeal through reenactment by the Legislature.