Four Hillsborough deputies assigned to special school threat investigation unit

TAMPA, Fla. - The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office announced Friday they're launching a new team tasked with a very important purpose: Investigating school threats.

Four deputies will now make up the department's new School Threat Assessment and Response (STAR) squad. The team will be focused on investigating threats of violence to schools, students or self-harm. That includes threats made in person and on social media.

"The new STAR squad will allow us to monitor and investigate school threats not just in our public schools, but in our charter and private schools as well," Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said. "The new tools available to our school resource deputies will ensure they respond and neutralize the threat safely while protecting our precious children."

Law enforcement made more than 1,500 threat assessments during the last school year, according to John Newman, the Hillsborough County school district's chief of security and emergency management. They work directly with principals, staff and counselors who often focus on mental health solutions.

Newman told FOX 13 this development came from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Commission, which was formed following the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. The commission, along with new Florida laws, first led to the hardening of security on campuses, leading to a focus on mental health and school threats.

"The threat assessment process really needed to be shored up," said Newman. "Threat assessment and that entire process is the only predictor that we have that will be able to look at someone's behavior and say, is this a kid screaming for help? If so, how can we help them?"

The STAR squad will also identify trends and monitor students who transfer to different schools after making threats of violence.

"This is the forecasting that we can do. This is the predictor and law enforcement is a big part of that," Newman said.