Fort Lauderdale Police Department
Fort Lauderdale Police Department, or FLPD, is the official police force of the city of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Even though Fort Lauderdale is inextinguishable from the greater Miami area, the police department only serves the city of Fort Lauderdale and its residents.
Locations & Facilities
1300 W Broward Blvd
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312
954-764-4357
Fort Lauderdale Police Department is stationed on the North-Western tip of Sailboat Bend, which is itself part of the larger Fort Lauderdale city. More specifically, the headquarters are located at 1300 West Broward Boulevard.
The white-blue building is easy to recognize, and all the signing points towards the main building and the main lobby. The entrance is on West Broward Boulevard, so it’s hard to miss.
Parking
Parking your car at the FLPD is easy as the premises are large and surrounded by parking lots. You can park on all sides of the building.
Jurisdiction & Numbers
Fort Lauderdale Police Department governs a specific section of the greater Miami metro area, and it’s often hard to determine what that exact area is, mostly due to complicated administrative borders. You can view the map of the police districts and zones of Fort Lauderdale directly on the official site of the FLPD.
In essence, the FLPD serves a population of more than 170,000 people and 33 square miles. The area includes 84 miles of navigable waterway and seven miles of beach.
History
In 1911, the village of Fort Lauderdale was incorporated as a town, which was also the year when the first council of the city appointed Kossie Goodbread as the inaugural City Marshal. He served alone, and it was only in 1916 that the police force finally started having two officers. Then, in 1920, the first Chief of Police was appointed, and it was then that the Fort Lauderdale police force became the police department of the city.
Between 1924 and 1926, the city expanded massively, and so did the police force, which grew from only two to 26 personnel. The police force then shrank, even though the problems increased, most of which came from the Great Depression and the Prohibition Era.
In the 1930s, an expansion finally followed, with many officers serving as Police Chiefs and a lot of new equipment and buildings being added. The decades that followed were largely about expansion, which was necessary as the city of Fort Lauderdale kept expanding as well.
In the late 1970s, FLPD ran a special Community Service Aide Program, the first of its kind in the entire country. It hired, trained, and certified civilians to handle accidents and police reports.
In 1992, Hurricane Andrew hit Miami, but Fort Lauderdale managed to avoid the worst part of the storm. The FLPD was consequently able to help the surrounding areas.
Chief of Police
At the moment, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department doesn’t have a police chief. The city is still looking for a new one, but it has named the retired Chief Patrick Lynn as the Interim Police Chief of FLPD.
Past Police Chiefs
- Kossie Goodbread
- Herny H. Marshall
- Lucian Craig
- Cole Tavell
- L. J. Schwingel
- J. P. A. Hertlein
- John G. Kaiser
- R. B. McDonald
- H. S. “Shorty” Becker
- Roland R. Kelley
- J. Lester Holt
- Robert Johnston
- Leo F. Callahan
- Ronald Cochran
- Joseph C. Gerwens
- Thomas D. McCarthy
- Joseph M. Donisi
Fallen Officers
Fort Lauderdale Police Department has lost a total of 13 police officers. Thankfully, the last death was way back in 2005, with no officer losing their life since then.
The FLPD has a whole page on its site, called the Page of Honor, dedicated to the fallen officers.
Online Services
Fort Lauderdale Police Department wants the community members to engage with it whenever they feel the need. However, it also calls on people to solve crimes with the police force.
With that in mind, the official site of the police force has a Most Wanted list you can always check and share information on any of the people from it.
Naturally, you can also ask for help. For instance, the site has a page where you can submit a report about a loss of personal property.
Naturally, if you are experiencing a potential crime or are a witness to it, you should always dial 911. The site of the FLPD has a special page where the whole process of reporting a crime is explained in great detail.
Jobs
At the moment, Fort Lauderdale Police Department is not looking for new members. However, this can change at any given moment, so make sure to check the site if you are interested in joining the police force of Fort Lauderdale.
Social Media & Website
If you have an emergency, dial 911
If you want to report a crime, call 954-764-HELP (4357)
If you need to contact the administration, dial (954) 828-5700
If you want to report website errors, use this email.