The most recent statewide reports on weapons in Florida schools might not be accurate.
Florida schools are required to report safety incidents to the state’s Department of Education.
The most recent report, with data from the 2022-2023 school year, states there were 2,063 “weapons possession” incidents in Florida schools, which includes firearms and other weapons.
Of that, the report says 1,317 were reported to law enforcement.
That’s more than a third of those incidents, unreported.
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Those gaps appear locally as well: Of the 206 weapons incidents in Palm Beach County Schools that school year, the state’s data shows 138 were reported to law enforcement.
And only 24 out of 43 incidents were listed as reported to law enforcement in St. Lucie County.
WPTV contacted both districts to find out why so many incidents were not brought to law enforcement. Both said the same thing: that they did report all weapons possession incidents to law enforcement.