William “Bill” Schultz has more than 23 years of experience in law enforcement, has led innovations in the Fort Lauderdale Police Department (FLPD), and is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community. Now he is leading the department. In 2020, FLPD’s Facebook page posted a video, where Schultz, then a captain, talked about his career in law enforcement and being one of the first openly gay male officers the department has ever had. Schultz clearly is the perfect choice for the city. Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis, himself also LGBTQ+ is happy with the decision and hopes Schultz will improve the department. And rightly so as Fort Lauderdale is the largest city in America to have a gay mayor and gay police chief. His appointment comes with a lot of responsibilities amidst the current environment where hate crimes are on the rise nationally and in Florida and they are being fueled by the terrorist attack on Israel by Hamas. There are also hate crimes in other minority communities, especially among trans citizens. Many of these crimes are unsolved or unreported because of a chasm of distrust between citizens and police. Schultz has plans for this. Schultz, a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the Police Executive Research Forum’s Senior Management Institute for Police, ensures other officers have experience in dealing with hate crimes. This is a much-needed step to ensure the community’s safety and keep its spirit intact.
