2026 Tampa Bay School Resource Officers Training

Community Outreach Coordinator Khalilah Escalera and Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney Derry joined FBI Special Agent Steven Thames for the second year to deliver training to new Tampa Bay area school resource officers (SROs). AUSA Derry presented on Current Trends in Human Trafficking and Online Safety, along with information about Cyber Crime from the FBI. Community Outreach Coordinator Escalera provided resources on Digital Safety and discussed the importance of community engagement and collaboration to bolster crime prevention efforts. These presentations were part of a weeklong training course designed to prepare SROs for their new roles. In total, 18 SROs attended from across the Middle District of Florida, with representatives from Gulfport Police Department, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Pasco Sheriff’s Office, Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, Pinellas Park Police Department, St. Petersburg Police Department, Tarpon Springs Police Department, and the Pinellas County Schools Police Department. The training was hosted by St. Petersburg College.