City of Fort Lauderdale - Gunstoppers
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Gunstoppers

The increasing prevalence of firearms carried illegally in public places throughout our community is a public safety threat. The Fort Lauderdale Police Department, in collaboration with CrimeStoppers of Broward County, Florida, and the School Board of Broward County, Florida, designed the GUNSTOPPERS PROGRAM to promote an envirnoment free of illegal firearms. The program will provide a reward to persons reporting illegal firearms possession within the City of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. THE GUNSTOPPERS PROGRAM IS NOT A GUN BUY-BACK PROGRAM. CRIMESTOPPERS OF BROWARD COUNTY, FLORIDA, WILL PAY REWARDS ONLY IF THE FIREARM IS RECOVERED IN A PUBLIC PLACE.

The goal of the GUNSTOPPERS PROGRAM is to make the City of Fort Lauderdale safe from gun violence and to remove these firearms from the streets before they are used illegally. The Fort Lauderdale Police Department will actively enforce state and local laws regarding the possession of illegal firearms with the City. It is urged that all citizens who are aware of any person illegally possessing a firearm in any public facility fo immediately report this information to Crimestoppers at 954-495-TIPS (8477).

Procedural Guidelines

Community

Residents of the Fort Lauderdale community participating in the GUNSTOPPERS PROGRAM are asked to provide the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, by way of the Broward County CrimeStoppers Unit, with specific and detailed information regarding the possession of an illegal firearm in any public facility located in the City. The procedures for reporting and reward eligibility are as follows:

  1. The caller telephones CrimeStoppers at 954-493-TIPS (8477) to report the illegal firearms possession.
  2. The caller provides specific and detailed information as to the location and description of the person in possession of the illegal firearm.
  3. When the tip is received, the caller is assigned a code number.
  4. The caller remains anonymous.
  5. Crimestoppers relays this information to the Fort Lauderdale Police Department.
  6. The Fort Lauderdale Police Department acts under its own procedures to immediately locate the suspect alleged to have an illegal firearm.
  7. When the suspect is located and in possession of an illegal firearm, the person having first notified CrimeStoppers will be eligible for a $100 reward, and
  8. When the information results in an arrest, the caller presents the code number to a bank and is paid the reward.

Schools During Hours

When a TIP (information) is received and the public place is a school operated by the School Board of Broward County, Florida, and is located in the City of Fort Lauderdale during schools hours or a school sponsored event, the following procedure will be adhered to:

  1. The caller telephones CrimeStoppers at 954-493-TIPS (8477) to report the illegal firearms possession on school property.
  2. The caller must provide specific and detailed information as to the location and description of the person in possession of the illegal firearm on school property.
  3. The caller is assigned a code number when the tip is received.
  4. The call will remain anonymous.
  5. CrimeStoppers Unit will contact by telephone both the Fort Lauderdale Police Department and the School Board's Special Investigative Unity (SIU)to apprise the agencies of the illegal firearm information.
  6. The SIU contacts the school principal or designee and the SIU investigator to provide the CrimeStoppers TIP information.
  7. Principal or designee will follow prescribed procedures delineated in School Board Policies 2302, 2304, and 5006, as applicable.
  8. The SIU investigator will respond to the school for appropriate follow-up and/or investigation.
  9. The Fort Lauderdale Police Department School Resource Officer Supervisor will notify the School Resource Officer assigned to the school indentified by the TIP.

Schools After Hours

Any activity reported/located on school property after regular school hours concerning the GUNSTOPPERS PROGRM will follow the procedural guidelines for Schools During Hours, except the desk supervisor wil contact the investigator on call.

Prior to taking any enforcement action, the City of Fort Lauderdale Police Department will notify the School Board's Special Investigative Unit (SIU). The investigator on call will notify the principal of the school.

The alleged incident should be investigated jointly by the School Board Special Investigative Unit and the Fort Lauderdale Police Department.