The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is announcing the formation of a new squad that will help investigate school-based threats.
The School Threat Assessment and Response (STAR) squad was formed to address the need for a comprehensive response to school-based threats. The STAR squad consists of four deputies dedicated to keeping our students and faculty safe at each of our public, charter, and private school campuses within unincorporated Hillsborough County. The centralized investigation and follow up of school-based threats allows the STAR squad to identify common trends and directly monitor students who made threats of violence if they transfer to different schools.
"The members of the STAR squad are deputies that have an intimate knowledge of the procedures, policies, and workings of the Hillsborough County School District and will be able to investigate school-based threats much more quickly and efficiently," said Sheriff Chad Chronister. "It is critical to investigate every school-based threat to the fullest extent possible to keep our learning environments safe. The STAR squad’s sole mission is to protect our students and faculty and to keep violence from ever materializing on our campuses."
The STAR squad officially launched on November 14, 2022, and reports to the Captain of the Community Outreach Division.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bI-zJSx4VXI