The Fort Lauderdale Police Department (FLPD) welcomed 15 new officers to the force on October 15th. The newly sworn officers will support the mission and vision of the City Commission to enhance public safety.
The FLPD continues to see improvements in its efforts to combat violent crime. Police Chief Patrick Lynn reported that Part I Crimes are down citywide this year compared to last year. Homicides are down 29%, sex offense crimes are down 20%, and aggravated assaults are down 4%. This translates to an overall decrease of 4% of violent crime citywide.
Chief Lynn provided an update on Police Community Engagement Initiatives at the City Commission meeting on Tuesday, October 18, in City Hall’s Commission Chambers.
“We need to get back to where we were, pre-covid. It is my philosophy that the District Captains, are essentially District Chiefs. While we hold them accountable, we need to give them the tools to be successful,” said Chief Lynn speaking about the manpower increase.
Lynn has been Chief of the Fort Lauderdale Police Department since March after a tumultuous period where his two predecessors faced scandal. Lynn has been in law enforcement for 35 years, beginning as a patrol officer with the City of Pembroke Pines Police Department in 1982. He then rose through the ranks retiring as the city’s Deputy Chief in 2007. He also briefly served as the Police Chief for the Town of Davie Police Department.
