TAMPA (WFLA) – The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice has launched a campaign reminding kids that “it’s no joke” to make threats of violence against a school.

Last week, state officials gathered to announce the launch of an anonymous threat reporting app called Fortify Florida.

Since school began in August, Hillsborough County School Board officials— who have been using Fortify Florida this school year— say they’ve received 28 tips on Fortify Florida.

All of them have been found to be illegitimate.

School Threats

Take a look at the number of tips these Bay area counties have received on the Fortify Florida app. Hover over the bar to see the exact number.

Sources: Hillsborough and Pinellas County School Boards

Pasco officials have seen 74 tips since last December. 

The County’s superintendent, Kurt Browning, said the app’s biggest problem is the anonymity. Because of it, Browning, who is also president of the state superintendents association, plans to approach lawmakers about implementing methods similar to CrimeStoppers’ two-way communication, which is also used by the Polk County School Board.

“Most Fortify Florida alerts are not tips about threats, and many contain only random letters,” said Pasco County spokeswoman Linda Cobbe. “We get more tips through calls or face-to-face reports from students and parents.”

This school year, the Pasco sheriff’s office has reported investigating 27 threats or reports of threats, which have resulted in seven arrests.  Five are active.

Officials in Polk County have recorded 226 received from a variety of sources since the beginning of 2019, including those from Fortify Florida and CrimeStoppers.

Another commonly used system in Tampa Bay is the Sandy Hook Promise system, which also allows interaction between its staff and the tipster.

According to spokeswoman Lisa Wolf-Chason, recent estimates of tips are upwards of 860 for 2019 through the Sandy Hook Promise System, and only 43 through Fortify Florida.

“We want young people in Florida to understand that, in today’s environment, every threat is taken very seriously and, even if made in jest, can lead to devastating consequences,” said FDJJ secretary Simone Marstiller. “There is nothing funny about threatening a school, and there is nothing funny about being charged with a felony.  We want young people to think twice before casually threatening violence in their schools.”