Orange County deputies launch new unit to track, stop school threats

With the start of the school year approaching, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office is rolling out a specialized unit to investigate and prevent threats, including those targeting local schools.

What we know:

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office has created a Threat Assessment Threat Management Unit to investigate and prevent threats, particularly those involving local schools. 

Operating within the agency’s intelligence division, the 10-member team serves as a central hub for evaluating all threats reported to law enforcement.

The unit works closely with school resource officers, the Orange County Public Schools Police and the sheriff’s Behavioral Response Unit to detect, deter and disrupt potential dangers, while also connecting individuals in crisis to mental health resources.

What we don't know:

Officials have not disclosed the unit’s budget, long-term staffing plans or specific protocols for determining which threats require law enforcement action versus mental health intervention. It’s also unclear how success will be measured in reducing threats to schools and the broader community.

The backstory:

The unit was launched in recent months in response to the growing need for centralized threat evaluation in Orange County. Schools across Florida have seen a rise in threats in recent years, prompting law enforcement to develop specialized teams to better coordinate intelligence, prevention and intervention.

What they're saying:

The Threat Assessment Threat Management Unit, launched in recent months, operates within the agency’s intelligence division and serves as a central hub for evaluating any threats reported to law enforcement.

"It is a clearinghouse for all threats that come into the Orange County Sheriff’s Office," Undersheriff Mark Canty said. "The unit will work closely with our school resource officers and the Orange County Public Schools Police to detect, deter and disrupt any type of threat."

Canty said the unit works in partnership with the sheriff’s Behavioral Response Unit, which can connect people in crisis to mental health resources even when no crime has been committed.

"If you have someone who’s going through a mental challenge … we can refer them to BRU so they can get those resources," Canty said.

OCPS Police Chief Bryan Duane Holmes said district officers will continue monitoring students who may pose a risk.

"I have intel analysts that … assess the student," Holmes said. "Have they been in trouble in the past? Do they have a criminal history? Whatever it may be? And we work directly with the sheriff’s task force."

Law enforcement leaders stressed that students, parents and community members play a key role in safety by reporting suspicious behavior before it escalates.

The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the Orange County Public Schools Police.

https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/orange-county-deputies-launch-new-unit-track-stop-school-threats