Fort Lauderdale Police Department
Home MenuFLPD Risk Protection Order (RPO) Program
- As a result of the February 14, 2018, tragic mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas Public High School, the Florida Legislature enacted a law that allows law enforcement agencies to obtain what is known as a Risk Protection Order (RPO), under Florida Statute 790.401.
- The Florida statute allows a law enforcement agency to petition the court to restrict an individual’s access to firearms and/or ammunition if the law enforcement agency believes that the individual poses a significant threat to him/herself or others.
- There are many reasons for RPOs. Some are a result of an individual who is amid a mental health crisis, others are a result of violent threats and ongoing domestic violence situations.
- In addition to the statutory criteria that are used by both the agency and the courts to determine whether to issue an RPO, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department takes individuals’ First and Second Amendment Rights into consideration. This process includes, for each RPO request, a review of the initial complaint, the respondent’s criminal history, civil history, and an extensive search of the respondent’s social media outlets.
- The RPO package presented to the court provides a broad picture of the respondent, beyond the initial complaint by the presenting police officer and is a contributing factor to the high court approval rate.
- When the RPO is ready to expire, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department evaluates each situation to determine whether the agency wants to make a request to the court to extend the order for another twelve (12) months. With the assistance of the RPO’s originating entity, the agency is able to make a determination if the individual still poses a significant threat to him/herself and/or others.
- The agency also looks into other alternatives to assist the individual if they do not meet the RPO criteria so that a crisis may be prevented.
For more information about RPOs, visit: : Risk Protection Orders – Seventeenth Judicial Circuit of Florida (flcourts.org)