By Amelia Anderson The Fort Lauderdale Police Department, commonly known as FLPD, is the municipal law-enforcement agency serving Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It responds to emergencies, investigates crimes, enforces traffic laws, patrols neighbourhoods and provides specialised services for residents, businesses and visitors.
Fort Lauderdale Police operates through three geographic police districts. The department’s Operations Bureau provides 24-hour patrol services throughout the city, while investigative and support bureaus handle serious crimes, records, evidence, training and other specialised functions.
Residents should call 911 when a crime is happening, someone is in immediate danger or urgent police assistance is required. For delayed crimes, suspicious activity and other situations that do not present an immediate threat, the department’s non-emergency number should be used.
Fort Lauderdale Police Department Quick Information
| Information | Details |
| Official name | Fort Lauderdale Police Department |
| Common abbreviation | FLPD |
| Police headquarters | 1300 W. Broward Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312 |
| Emergency number | 911 |
| Non-emergency police number | 954-828-5700 |
| City Customer Service | 954-828-8000 |
| Police Legal Division | 954-828-5622 |
| Number of police districts | Three |
| Districts | District 1, District 2 and District 3 |
| Main bureaus | Operations, Investigations and Support Services |
| County | Broward County |
| Police-authorised/code-related towing | Westway Towing |
| Westway Towing | 954-731-1115 |
| Broward County jail information | 954-831-5900 |
| Main Jail address | 555 SE 1st Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 |
Fort Lauderdale Police Department Address
The Fort Lauderdale Police Department’s new headquarters is located at:
- 1300 W. Broward Boulevard
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33312
The new headquarters is a major public-safety facility designed to provide police operations, training, administrative services, community meeting space and other department functions from a modern central location.
The headquarters facility is considerably larger than the department’s former police building and provides approximately 191,000 square feet of space.
The main police non-emergency number is: 954-828-5700
Call 911 when:
- A crime is currently happening.
- Someone is injured or in immediate danger.
- A firearm or another dangerous weapon is involved.
- A suspect remains at or near the scene.
- A serious traffic collision has occurred.
- A child or vulnerable person is missing in dangerous circumstances.
- Immediate police, fire or medical assistance is required.
For situations that do not involve an immediate threat, call 954-828-5700.
Examples may include:
- Delayed theft reports
- Property damage
- Suspicious activity that occurred earlier
- Vehicle break-ins discovered later
- Certain fraud complaints
- Noise or disturbance concerns requiring police attention
- Questions about an existing police case
Important Fort Lauderdale Police Phone Numbers
| Police service | Phone number |
| Emergency assistance | 911 |
| Police non-emergency | 954-828-5700 |
| City Customer Service | 954-828-8000 |
| Police Legal Division | 954-828-5622 |
| City public-record assistance | 954-828-5010 |
| City Records Management | 954-828-3772 |
| Westway Towing | 954-731-1115 |
| Broward County jail information | 954-831-5900 |
| Broward Sheriff’s Office | 954-831-8900 |
| Crime Stoppers | 954-493-8477 |
Specialised telephone numbers should mainly be used for information, records and case follow-up. New incidents requiring police response should be reported through 911 or the FLPD non-emergency number.
Fort Lauderdale Police Districts
Fort Lauderdale Police currently divides its patrol jurisdiction into three geographic districts.
| Police district | Function |
| District 1 | Geographic patrol and emergency-response area |
| District 2 | Geographic patrol and emergency-response area |
| District 3 | Geographic patrol and emergency-response area |
The three-district system helps FLPD distribute patrol officers and calls for service across the city.
Each district is further divided into smaller service areas and police zones. These smaller areas allow officers and supervisors to monitor crime patterns and respond efficiently to neighbourhood concerns.
The department considered creating a fourth police district as part of its public-safety planning, but the current operational system remains based on three districts.
Residents do not need to identify their police district before calling for assistance. Dispatchers determine the appropriate district based on the exact location of the incident.
Police district boundaries do not necessarily correspond with:
- ZIP codes
- City Commission districts
- Neighbourhood-association boundaries
- Postal addresses
- School districts
The exact street address should therefore be provided whenever police assistance is requested.
Operations Bureau
The Operations Bureau is responsible for providing uniformed police services throughout Fort Lauderdale.
It operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and includes patrol and specialised operational resources.
1. Patrol Division
Patrol officers provide the department’s primary frontline response.
Their responsibilities include:
- Responding to 911 calls
- Handling non-emergency calls
- Conducting preliminary investigations
- Responding to domestic disturbances
- Investigating suspicious activity
- Conducting welfare checks
- Searching for missing people
- Enforcing traffic laws
- Responding to vehicle crashes
- Making arrests
- Providing neighbourhood patrol
A patrol officer normally completes the initial police report and collects information or evidence available at the scene.
Cases requiring additional investigation may later be assigned to a detective.
2. Specialised Operations
FLPD also maintains specialised personnel and units to support patrol officers during incidents requiring additional equipment or expertise.
These functions include:
- SWAT
- K-9 officers
- Motorcycle officers
- Marine patrol
- Mounted patrol
- Traffic enforcement
- Bomb response
- Dive operations
- School Resource Officers
- Public Safety Aides
- Special-event policing
Fort Lauderdale has beaches, waterways, major hotels, entertainment districts and large public events. Marine, traffic and specialised operational services therefore play an important role in the department’s public-safety strategy.
Investigations Bureau
The Investigations Bureau handles serious and complex criminal cases requiring extended detective work.
Its responsibilities include criminal investigations, violent-crime investigations and specialised investigations.
Cases may involve:
- Homicide
- Robbery
- Serious assault
- Sexual offences
- Domestic violence
- Crimes against children
- Burglary
- Auto theft
- Financial crime
- Missing persons
- Narcotics
- Organised crime
- Gang-related offences
- Human trafficking
- Repeat violent offenders
Detectives may interview victims and witnesses, review surveillance recordings, obtain search warrants, analyse digital information and work with prosecutors.
The department also uses a Real-Time Crime Center to support patrol officers and detectives. Crime analysts can combine information from law-enforcement databases, cameras, licence-plate readers and other public-safety technology to assist investigations.
Support Services Bureau
The Support Services Bureau provides administrative and operational support to FLPD.
Its responsibilities include:
- Police Records
- Evidence and police supplies
- Training
- Recruitment
- Background investigations
- Police finance
- Fleet and logistics
- Department facilities
- Technology support
- Personnel services
The bureau also supports department compliance with law-enforcement accreditation, information-security requirements and other professional standards.
Internal Affairs and Professional Standards
FLPD’s Office of Internal Affairs investigates allegations of misconduct involving police employees.
Its responsibilities include:
- Investigating complaints
- Reviewing alleged policy violations
- Monitoring use-of-force matters
- Supporting disciplinary investigations
- Ensuring employees receive due process
- Maintaining professional accountability
Internal Affairs operates separately from ordinary criminal-investigation units.
A person who wants to make a complaint should provide as much information as possible, including:
- Date and time
- Exact location
- Officer’s name when known
- Badge or vehicle number
- Police case number
- Witness information
- Photographs or video
- A detailed explanation of what happened
A person who does not know the officer’s name may still provide enough information for the department to identify the employee.
What County Is the Fort Lauderdale Police Department In?
The Fort Lauderdale Police Department is located in Broward County, Florida.
FLPD’s regular jurisdiction is based on Fort Lauderdale city limits rather than the entire county.
The Broward Sheriff’s Office is a separate law-enforcement agency. It provides police services to many Broward County communities, operates the county jail system and performs other countywide duties.
Nearby cities such as:
- Hollywood
- Pompano Beach
- Plantation
- Davie
- Sunrise
- Oakland Park
- Wilton Manors
may be served by their own police departments or by the Broward Sheriff’s Office.
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is operated by Broward County, and policing at airport property may involve the Broward Sheriff’s Office rather than FLPD.
The exact incident location determines which agency should take a police report.
How to File a Fort Lauderdale Police Report
For a new police report, residents should call 954-828-5700 when the incident is not an emergency.
Information to have ready includes:
- Exact location of the incident
- Date and approximate time
- Description of what happened
- Name or description of the suspect
- Vehicle information
- Witness details
- Serial numbers for stolen items
- Photographs or surveillance video
- Estimated value of stolen or damaged property
Call 911 when:
- The crime is still happening.
- The suspect remains nearby.
- Someone was injured.
- Violence or threats are involved.
- A weapon is involved.
- Immediate police attendance is necessary.
Fort Lauderdale also maintains FixIt FTL for many non-emergency municipal concerns. However, FixIt FTL should not be used as a replacement for 911 or for a police crime report requiring an officer.
Reporting a Stolen Vehicle
A stolen motor vehicle should be reported directly to police so it can be entered into law-enforcement databases.
The registered owner should provide:
- Vehicle identification number
- Licence plate number
- Year, make and model
- Vehicle colour
- Registered owner’s details
- Last known location
- Approximate time of disappearance
- Information about available keys
- GPS or tracking information
Before reporting a vehicle stolen, check whether it may have been:
- Towed
- Repossessed
- Moved by another authorised person
Call 911 when the vehicle is being stolen at that moment or the incident involves violence.
Obtaining Fort Lauderdale Police Records
Police and other city records can be requested through Fort Lauderdale’s public-record process.
A request should be as specific as possible and include:
- FLPD case number
- Incident date
- Exact location
- Names of involved people
- Type of document requested
- Requester’s contact information
Records may include qualifying:
- Incident reports
- Arrest-related records
- Police correspondence
- Photographs
- Video
- Dispatch information
- Other releasable documents
Some information may be redacted or withheld when it involves:
- Juveniles
- Protected crime victims
- Confidential investigative information
- Medical information
- Active investigations
- Information exempt under Florida law
For general city public-record questions, the City Clerk’s Office can be contacted at 954-828-5010.
Traffic Collision Reports
Call 911 when a crash involves:
- Injuries
- A suspected impaired driver
- A serious road obstruction
- A dangerous situation
- A hit-and-run driver who remains nearby
Drivers involved in a minor collision should exchange identification, registration and insurance information when it is safe to do so.
A police crash report may require several days to be processed before it becomes available.
People requesting a report should have the crash date, exact location, driver information and police case number available.
Property and Evidence
FLPD maintains an Evidence and Police Supply function within its Support Services Bureau.
Property held by police may include:
- Criminal evidence
- Found property
- Safekeeping property
- Recovered stolen items
- Firearms
- Personal belongings
- Electronic devices
A person seeking property should contact FLPD before visiting headquarters because release may require approval from the assigned detective or another authorised employee.
The owner may need:
- Government-issued photo identification
- Police case number
- Property receipt
- Proof of ownership
- Investigator or court authorisation
Evidence cannot normally be released while it is still needed for an investigation or court proceeding.
Towed and Impounded Vehicles
Fort Lauderdale uses contracted towing services for many city-authorised vehicle removals.
One principal towing provider is:
- Westway Towing
- 3681 W. Oakland Park Boulevard
- Fort Lauderdale area, Florida 33311
- Phone: 954-731-1115
A person whose vehicle is missing should first determine whether it was towed before reporting it stolen.
Be prepared to provide:
- Licence plate number
- Vehicle identification number
- Make and model
- Vehicle colour
- Registered owner’s name
- Location where it was parked
A vehicle owner generally needs valid identification, proof of ownership and payment of towing and storage charges before a vehicle can be released.
A vehicle connected with a criminal investigation may be placed on a police hold and cannot be released until the investigating officer authorises it.
Fort Lauderdale Police and Broward County Jail
Fort Lauderdale Police officers make arrests, but FLPD does not operate the Broward County jail system.
People arrested by FLPD are generally processed through the Broward Sheriff’s Office Central Intake Bureau at:
- 555 SE 1st Avenue
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301
The same location contains the Broward County Main Jail.
The jail information number is:
954-831-5900
The Broward Sheriff’s Office operates multiple detention facilities, including:
- Main Jail Bureau
- Joseph V. Conte Facility
- North Broward Bureau
- Paul Rein Detention Facility
A person arrested in Fort Lauderdale may initially be processed at Central Intake and later transferred to another BSO detention facility.
The Sheriff’s Office provides an online Arrest Search showing current custody information. The system is updated frequently, but a newly arrested person may not appear immediately while booking is being completed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How many police districts does Fort Lauderdale have?
A: Lauderdale Police currently operates through three geographic police districts: District 1, District 2 and District 3.
Q: What is the Fort Lauderdale Police non-emergency number?
A: The main non-emergency police number is 954-828-5700. Call 911 when someone is in danger or a crime is currently taking place.
Q: How can I find out whether my vehicle was towed?
A: Call FLPD non-emergency at 954-828-5700 or contact the towing provider when known. Westway Towing can be reached at 954-731-1115.
Q: Does Fort Lauderdale Police operate the Broward County jail?
A: No. Broward County detention facilities are operated by the Broward Sheriff’s Office. The Main Jail and Central Intake Bureau are located at 555 SE 1st Avenue.
Q: Does FLPD handle every incident with a Fort Lauderdale mailing address?
A: Not necessarily. Some locations with Fort Lauderdale postal addresses may fall outside the incorporated city or on property policed by another agency. The exact incident address determines the responsible law-enforcement department.