TAMPA, Fla. — As students head back to classrooms next Thursday for the first day of school, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is getting ready with its S.T.A.R. Squad.
S.T.A.R. stands for School Threat Assessment and Response, and it’s a team of four school resource deputies dedicated to investigating school threats.
It’s not new for Hillsborough County deputies to train for an active shooter inside a school. During the summer of 2022, school resource deputies even worked with the SWAT team to navigate a solo response if they end up being the only ones able to confront a school shooter.
"We've dedicated numerous resources, and we don't spare any expense because the safety of the children is of the utmost importance,” said Lt. Cason James Ulmer, the head of the School Safety Bureau within the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. “The sheriff has put in extensive training over the last several years for school resource deputies, so we're ready to go."
But the sheriff’s office isn’t just relying on response, they’re also preparing for active shooters with its newly formed S.T.A.R. Squad, which identifies school threats made in real-time.
"Having the S.T.A.R. Squad in one location, all four deputies, it creates a consistent and cohesive environment to investigate the crimes or lack thereof,” said Lt. Ulmer. “They can bounce ideas off of each other. If it's an extensive case or a complex case, then obviously, we have resources like the criminal investigations division for very serious things and partners at the state attorney's office."
Since November 2022 when the squad was formed, they’ve received about a thousand school-based threats. HCSO covers around 200 schools total with 50 schools assigned per deputy on the S.T.A.R Squad and that includes private, public and charter.
Lt. Ulmer said when a threat comes in, they can immediately start their investigation, such as where and how the threat originated, how serious it is and if they need help from other agencies.
"With the multiple different tips, [we are] in the same office discussing,” said Lt. Ulmer. “With the state attorney's office, we have federal partners as well, so some of the IP addresses and stuff like that, we rely heavily on outside entities to help us solve those.”
Threats can come in from several different places like someone’s home or even social media, and tips also come through different avenues like the Fortify Florida app, TIP-411, the non-emergency line, 911 or from administrators and staff.
The consequences of making a threat can range, but being charged with a felony is not out of the question.
“They've done a good job of upping the ante for certain types of threats,“ said Lt. Ulmer about lawmakers and policy being made in Tallahassee. “Sheriff Chronister is dedicated to the safety of the students so they can go to school and learn, and they don't have to worry about school safety in Hillsborough County."