School Threats To Be Investigated By Newly Formed Sheriff's Squad

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL — An increasing number of school-based threats has led to the formation of a new Hillsborough County sheriff's investigative squad.

The School Threat Assessment and Response (STAR) squad includes four deputies dedicated to keeping the students and faculty safe at all of the public, charter and private school campuses within unincorporated Hillsborough County, Sheriff Chad Chronister said.

Chronister said centralizing the investigations of school threats and follow-ups under the STAR squad will allow the squad to identify common trends and directly monitor students who threaten 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 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 Monday, and reports to the Captain of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office Community Outreach Division.