Update - fasro

1ST Quarter ,2016
FASRO
Update
Letter from the President…….
Hello FASRO
I hope that this letter finds you all doing well. I wanted to take this opportunity to express my humble appreciation to be able to serve as your president this year. I would also like to congratulate our Executive Director,
Tim Enos (Past President), F.A.S.A. Liason, Keith Hatcher, Treasurer, Doc McDonald, and Secretary, Gary Venuti
on their appointments. I am looking forward to the upcoming year and the exciting things we have planned.
Our annual FASRO conference is scheduled for July 9th-July 14th at Disney’s Buena Vista Palace in Orlando. We
are sure to have a great time as always. I am looking forward to the classes we are putting together and hope
you will all be able to attend. It is time to reunite with many of our friends from across the state, and the educational opportunities are second to none. I want to wish each of you a great and safe school year and I look
forward to seeing each of you in July. If I can do anything for you in the meantime, please feel free to contact
me.
The Florida Association of School Resource Officers
5824 Bee Ridge Rd #282
Sarasota, Fl 34233-5065
(941) 894-5167 · Email:contact@fasro.net
Timothy Enos, Executive Director
James Finnell, President
Gary Venuti, Secretary
Doc MacDonald, Treasurer
Michael Marden, President Elect
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
After another successful conference, I am very excited about the future of FASRO. We are continuing to
increase our partnerships with the goal of providing the most comprehensive school policing training in
the country. We have partnered and welcomed the addition of the President of FDOA, Ken Villa, as well
as the Executive Director of the School Safety Advocacy Council, Curt Lavarello. We will continue to
partner with the attorney general’s office, FGIA and FASA at the 2017 conference. I am confident that
with this year’s location of the Lake Buena Vista Resort at Disney World will be the best attended conference that we have ever had. With that in mind please make sure that you reserve your rooms at the
hotel as soon as possible as the rooms are limited and the online registration will be open soon. This
year’s conference theme will be “Stronger Students, Stronger Communities, Stronger Families”. If you
are interested in instructing, please send your materials to contact conference coordinator Buddy Tricquet.
At FASRO we are striving to continue to bring you the best instructors, best facilities and best training
in the country. If I can ever be of any assistance please feel free to contact me at any time.
Please be safe!
#FASROSTRONG
Timothy Enos
Executive Director
Florida Association of School Resource Officers
tenos@scgov.net
941-894-5167
President Elect
It is hard to hide my excitement since being elected to presidency in 2019-2020. The Executive Board is
currently working to find venues for those years that have the capacity for an organization of our
size. The Trump Doral near Miami was discussed as well as a property North-East of Jacksonville however no agreement was made. We will continue the search to find the most bang for our buck with facilities that meet our needs. I’m looking forward to working with the new members of the Executive
Board, Gary Venuti, Secretary and Doc McDonald, Treasurer. We will strive to increase membership
and benefits as we move forward.
Thanks for all you do protecting our schools and be safe!
Michael Marden
Conference Coordinator
Good day everyone,
As I am writing this we are in a planning meeting for the 2017 FASRO conference. The Buena Vista Palace Resort has gone through a total remodel and I can tell you the new pool deck and Lazy River are
awesome. I know the rooming block is already open and I would encourage you to make your room
reservations now.
Stay tuned to the newsletter updates with the focus of this year’s conference and a call for presenters.
You can contact me at tricquetrleonschools.net with your ideas.
Thanks again and stay safe.
Buddy
Office of the Attorney General
The Attorney General’s Office is once again hard at work training new SRO’s.
I hope your year has gotten off to a great start. I wanted to remind everyone not to forget to submit an
SRO for SRO of the year. Further information can be found on the FASRO website.
The Attorney General's Office
Edward Upthegrove
Bureau of Criminal Justice Programs
Office of the Attorney General
(850) 414-3360
Edward.Upthegrove@myfloridalegal.com
Florida’s D.A.R.E. Officer Training #79 graduates 18 new D.A.R.E. OfficersAltamonte Springs, FL- During a two week D.A.R.E. Training (DOT) officers from Florida, South Carolina,
and U.S. Army Belgium participated in an intense course to be able to teach the D.A.R.E. curriculum in
elementary and middle schools. The students were able to interact with children, other students and
mentors during the class which made the training environment extremely beneficial to the new D.A.R.E.
officers.
During the DOT class the students had a special opportunity to serve over 200 meals to homeless families
in the Central Florida area. Since 1948, the Orlando Union Rescue Mission's purpose is to bring the hungry, hurting and homeless families to a new life, new goals and a new future in Christ. All 18 students of
Florida DOT #79, along with the training center mentors and training center staff donated their time on
August 18th, 2016 after class to give back to the community, and to also teach a D.A.R.E. lesson to homeless children who are often forgotten.
It is the mission of the FDLE’s D.A.R.E. Training Center to train law enforcement officers in the Drug
Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) Curriculum while upholding the integrity and standards set by
D.A.R.E. America.
Cpl. Ken Vila
Collier County Sheriff’s Office
Youth Relations Bureau
President FDOA
D.A.R.E. Facilitator/Mentor
Florida Association of School Administrators (FASA)
Hello, Everyone!
I am very excited about my new role as the Liaison between FASRO and the Florida Association of School Administrators (FASA). I am looking forward to working with FASA Executive Director Juan Mixon to deliver
practical and useful information and training to school administrators across the great state of Florida.
I am entering my 31st year with the Columbia County School District in Lake City. I was a teacher for 8 years,
served as an Assistant Principal for 5 years, and was the first Principal at Fort White High School – serving the
Fort White community for 14 years. I have been at the district level for the past 3 years, most recently taking
on responsibilities as the Director of Purchasing and Risk Management
I have attended the FASRO conference on 4 different occasions in my career. Each time I have attended, I
have come back with the message that I learn more at the conference than any other conference I ever
attend. This past July was no exception. It is my desire to deliver this message to the membership at FASA so
that a more cohesive bond and partnership can be solidified between two very important organizations. In
our District, plans are underway to allow for the training of all of our Secondary Principals and their respective
Security Officers at the 2017 FASRO Conference.
In closing, I have adopted a new mantra that I heard at the conference in July: “EDUCATION IS FIRST, BUT
SAFETY IS ALWAYS” (I hope it is not copyrighted). I would like to thank FASRO President Jimmy Finnell for entrusting me with this office. I look forward to serving all of you as we partner with Florida school administrators everywhere to keep our children safe.
Sincerely,
Florida Sheriff’s Association (FSA)
Greetings,
Welcome my friends to an exciting start of a new school year. I hope everyone is having a smooth start.
I am excited about the task that has been given me in meeting with the Sheriff’s Association next month to
continue our great partnership with Mr. Steve Casey, Executive Director and his staff.
We are looking forward to attending the fall Sheriff’s Conference to share with the Sheriff’s and their staff
about FASRO. Many times in meeting with Sheriff’s they ask about FASRO and what can they do to assist.
Before you know it will be time to meet with our legislature through the Sheriff’s Association and the Florida
Association of School Administrators.
Several times this past year we were asked to assist the above associations with answer to some question.
Past President Tim Enos was able to provide these answers.
I wish you all the best and my prayers go with you as you provide the education and protection of our most
valued resources, our children.
Jamie Meeks FSA representative , Florida Sheriff’s Association,.
SCHOLARSHIPS:
The school year is already flying by, and before we know it the Class of 2017 will be graduating. With that in
mind, last year we gave out 11 scholarships and this year we will give out 20 scholarships at $1,000 each.
Our Annual FASRO Training Conference Hotel is already receiving reservations! With that in mind, make
your hotel reservations early or risk ending up in the overflow hotel.
The scholarship applications deadline is May 1, 2017.
Please be sure to remind your applicants to follow all of the scholarship application requirements. We received quite a few applications last year that did not follow the basic requirements and were disqualified.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:
Applicants will only be considered if ALL information and attachments are included.
 Every section of the application must be complete and typed or printed neatly in
black ink. (We lost several applications due to the use of a blue pen and for applicants writing “see attached”.)
 Three letters of recommendation must be attached (1-school, 2-community, 3student choice).
 An up-to-date copy of the student’s high school transcript must be attached.
 All applicants under 18 must sign attached “Attestation and Disclaimer” form.
 The student’s Personal Statement is a very critical section in the application;
quality more than quantity is valued by the judges.
Please mail the completed scholarships to:
Commander Dale Tharp
Escambia County Sheriff’s Office
1700 W. Leonard Street
Pensacola, FL 32501
Treasurer C.Y.”Doc” McDonald
I would like to take a moment to say THANK YOU for affording me this opportunity to be a part of such a cutting
edge organization that is solely dedicated the youth of our communities. We have already renewed our contract
with Event Rebels, and I am currently working with PayPal to get our account reset and active as soon as possible. Michael Marden is diligently working with Event Rebels to “tweak” a few of the issues that we encountered
during our last conference, as well as make some additions to the App, all of which should enhance the experience of the attendees at our next conference. Once everything is completed we will be able link the accounts to
the F.A.S.R.O. website and begin accepting registrations for next year’s conference. The Executive Board has voted to discontinue including specific bank account information in our newsletter, but in accordance with 21st Century Policing we will continue to maintain complete transparency with financial records as requested. If you ever
have any questions or concerns please let me know and I will be glad to accommodate any specific requests in
person.
I am very excited about being a part of the upcoming conference, as well as
each of you in Orlando for our January Board Meeting.
seeing
Please be diligent in your duties, and always watch your 6!!!!!!!!
Sincerely,
C.Y. “Doc” McDonald
F.A.S.R.O. Treasurer
F.A.S.R.O Practioners
Congratulations!!! to Officer Wade Walcott for receiving his F.A.S.R.O. Practitioners Certification in 2016. For
those of you who have not submitted an application for the F.A.S.R.O. Practitioner Certification, it is not to early
to submit to be recognized at the 2017 Conference. Stay safe out there.
Bobby Dinkel
Region 1
Welcome back! We had a fantastic summer with great training opportunities and it was great meeting so many
of you at FASRO conference. I am very excited and blessed to be your Region One Director. This is my fourth
year working as an SRO and the 20th year at the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.
Congratulations to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office for receiving the 2016 FASRO Agency of the Year and
Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Senior Deputy James Gill for receiving the 2016 FASRO School Resource Officer of the year.
In Region One news, a Bay County School Resource deputy arrested a registered sexual offender on August 19,
2016 when she saw the man talking to students and walking around the campus (unescorted) at Bozeman
School in Bay County, Florida. As you all know, this is just another example of why the school resource deputy/
officer program is such a valuable asset to school districts.
The FASRO board will have a meeting in January 2017 so if there is anything you would like me present, please
let me know. My job is to advocate for all of you. Stay Safe.
Sergeant Samantha Schill
Region One Director
Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office
sschill@sheriff-okaloosa.org
Region 2
I would like to say it has a been a busy new school year. Ever since the beginning of this school year our district
has been fighting the typical back to school challenges. I'm pleased to say this year seems to be starting off
great. Speaking of GREAT... Our district recently started teaching this program and it's been a big hit in the Elementary Schools. No other news reported from the surrounding counties.
Jacquelyn Tysall
Region 3
Region 3 has several programs and awards that they would like to share.
BOOKS AND BURGERS The Alachua County Sheriff's Office Books and Burgers program started life as a community outreach initiative aimed at increasing childhood literacy throughout Alachua County. Donations of
gently used children's books were graciously given by the citizens, employees, and local businesses and in turn
we give them to the kids who otherwise may not be able to afford them. This program is held at various neighborhoods throughout the county with a focus on the underserved communities. Children and their parents are
invited to the community center to have a hamburger meal and have their kids read to by Deputy Sheriff's.
This outreach effort is based on the idea that when the children and families are no longer worried about hunger, they can relax and absorb the stories that are being read to them. To further encourage literacy, the kids
also get to take home a few books to keep.
While working with the Books and Burgers Program it is a great experience as well as a wonderful opportunity
to meet kids and parents that not only live in the community in which you are the School Resource Deputy but
also meet with students and families throughout the county. The deputies that work the particular zones
where the Books and Burgers event takes place welcomes the fact that they are getting acquainted and familiarizing themselves with the kids and families on a different level. It opens up lines of communication and
shows the community that law enforcement as a whole are human and is genuinely concerned about their
overall welfare. It also gives law enforcement a chance to relax, have fun and open up their hearts.
Gainesville Police Department Explorer Program
Florida Association of Police Explorers (FAPE) was established 1971. This Law Enforcement Explorer programs
is chartered by the Boy Scouts of America as Learning for Life program and sponsored by local law enforcement entities. The membership in FAPE currently consists of Police Departments, Sheriff Offices, and Federal
Law Enforcement Agencies within the State of Florida (such as Homeland Security). Each year the Florida Association of Police Explorers hosts an annual state competition. The competition allows Explorers from the
State of Florida to compete in law enforcement scenarios based events, meet explorers from across the state,
and elect a new Youth President for the upcoming year.
This year they did. On June 22, 2016, the Florida Association of Police Explorers elected Gainesville Police Explorer Sergeant Elvin Kelsey as the 2016-2017 President. Under the direction of the GPD School Resource Officers the Explorer program has gained such acknowledgements. Through leadership training and guidance the
SRO's have sculpted a prominent program. Officer Don Tonya Cooper Smith an Elementary School Resource
Officer is currently the 2016 -2017 State Advisor for the Florida Association of Police Explorers. This is the first
time such titles have come to the Gainesville Police Department.
GPD car wrap wins Best Community Relations Award in Law and Order Magazine. SRO K-9 Ofc Michael Denmark's car (which was created by Ofc Denmark and Ofc Ellis) showcases some of the innovative programs that
the GPD SRO Unit offer in the schools that they staff to serve the community. These programs include GREAT,
SNAP, and the GPD SRO K-9 program (featuring the narcotics-trained, kid-friendly K-9 "Jet"). The wrap shows
the Gainesville Police Department's dedication to serving the community. Pictured is SRO K-9 Ofc Mike Denmark and his K-9 "Jet" along with his car and the other photo is the article from Law and Order magazine featuring his car and the comments from the judges.
REGION 4
Osceola, Orange, Seminole, Lake, Volusia and Brevard
SAVE THE DATE
FASRO 38th Annual Training Conference is July 09-14, 2017
Welcome back to the 2016/2017 school year.
The location for the 2017 conference is being held at the Buena Vista Palace. With a nightly rate of $129/
night. You can go to the FASRO website at fasro.net for more information. Notification will be sent out at a
later time to advise when the electronic registration has opened.
The SRO of the Year, Agency of the Year and Scholarship applications are due May 1, 2017, applications for all
can be found on FASRO’s website by selecting the “Awards” tab at the top of the page. Congratulations to
Escambia County Sheriff’s Office for earning the Agency of the Year award for 2016 as well as to Senior Deputy James Ronald Gill for his great accomplishment of SRO of the Year.
If your agency has any new SRO’s this school year please have them contact me with their e-mail and agency
name so they are included in all correspondence. Also, have them check out the FASRO website to learn
about becoming a member of FASRO.
I hope everyone has a safe school year.
Officer Angel Durham
Kissimmee Police Department – Osceola High School
Region 4 Director
321-229-1111
adurham@kissimmee.org
http://fasro.net
Region 5 ,Hello
Welcome back to another school year, it’s hard to believe we are already 8 weeks
in. I hope that you all have had a less than exciting start so far. Reminder that new
laws take effect October 1st, one being that it’s now going to be a felony to just
make threats of gun violence against a school, similar to a bomb threat. Please familiarize yourselves with this new law and how it can help you do your job.
Please remember to notify your high school counselors about the FASRO scholarship. You can download it from the website and send it to them. This year we will
be giving out 20 scholarships to deserving students. All of those tickets that you
bought for the gun raffle goes directly to fund this endeavor, so get the word out
about the scholarship and perhaps one of your students may be a lucky recipient.
Right now there’s not much to report for our area. If you have something going on
in your area or are seeing new trends, please touch base with me so that we can
share it in the newsletter and make everyone aware of it. You may be seeing it
now but eventually new trends make their way across the state so if we can help
our brothers and sisters in blue with a heads up, let’s make sure we do.
As always, if you need anything please feel free to contact me, I’m available by
email and phone.
Officer Lori D Edwards
Lakeland Police Department
SRO Rochelle School of the Arts
863-559-5173
Lori.edwards@polk-fl.net
FASRO Region 5 Directorep
Region 6
Hillsborough, Manatee, Hardee, Sarasota, Desoto, Charlotte and Lee
Regional Director – Deputy Victor M. Vasquez
vvasquez@hcso.tampa.fl.us
Welcome back!!! I hope everyone had smooth school openings with the challenges of shorten summer months for some and adverse weather conditions across our state as a result of Hurricane Hermine. The FASRO Training Conference this past summer in Naples, Florida, provided outstanding
training sessions and opportunities for SROs from across the state and nation to network and share
ideas.
A special congratulations to Region 6 FASRO Scholarship Winners: Nicole Liberato from Leonard
High School, who will be attending Hillsborough Community College and then onto the University of
South Florida, Shelby Akos from Riverview High School, who will be attending West Virginia Wesleyan College, and Brooke Leisti from Newsome High School, who will be attending the University of
South Florida.
SAVE THE DATE
FASRO 38th Annual Training Conference will be held July 9-14, 2017, at the Buena Vista Palace Resort, Lake Buena Vista, Florida. You are encouraged to make rooms reservations now so that you
are guaranteed a room in the conference hotel. Room rates have been established at $129.00 per
night. Now is the time to work with your schools and agencies to secure your spot at this upcoming
summer training conference.
Retirements
Special congratulations on retiring to Dep. Wayne Crowell, 29 1/2 years of service with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, with 19 of those years in the School Resource Section. Wishing you
the best of luck in your future endeavors in Lebanon, Tennessee!
Stay Connected
Keep your Region Director in the loop…..any new updates, training needs, membership and conference information. My contact information is vvasquez@hcso.tampa.fl.us. Look for updates in my
January 2017 News Blast.
Victor
Region 8
Hello, it’s hard to believe that we are through the summer and another successful FASRO conference
is under our belt. It’s back to school for all of us and I’m sure that you have hit the ground running.
Good luck with your upcoming school year. You will make a difference.
As your FASRO representative, I’m striving to get news out and represent you as I should in hopes that
your day will go a little better, your job will be a little easier or that you will learn of new and innovative ideas from other SRO’s in our region. I need your help to accomplish this, so if you have something that you’d like to see in the newsletter, please reach out and let me know, send me an idea or
link to a story. I look forward to utilizing your idea, talking about them and highlighting your programs.
Professional Regards,
Beth Jones, Director--FASRO Region 8
JUST SOME THOUGHTS:
In the wake of police-involved shootings around the country, law enforcement is working to change
the perception of officers for children. Many departments are taking a look at community engagement and focusing on youth.
For years, SRO’s have focused on youth and developing relationships with youth. That is what our
missions as an SRO’s is. Although your role as an SRO is unique, you not only preserve order and enforce the law, you promote safety on campus, you strive to develop relationships with your students
and the youth in your community, you are a safety expert, a problem solver, an educator and, just as
important as the other tasks on the list, you are a liaison to the community and its resources. Although some departments around the country are not so engaged in their communities, it appears
that many of us are. You and your departments have been engaging the community and making a
difference in the lives of children for a long time.
Please take time to click on the news links to see what your peers in Region 8 are doing.
Miami-Dade School Police
http://www.local10.com/education/back-to-school/miami-dade-schools-police-try-to-change-mindswith-explorers-program
Sunrise Police Department
http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/South-Florida-Schools-See-Benefits-of-Having-ResourceOfficers-on-Campus-306177791.html
Collier County Sheriff’s Office
http://archive.naplesnews.com/news/local/collier-deputies-get-kids-moving-at-summerfest-camps366ebeaa-62c1-2045-e053-0100007f9ca8-385114331.html
Palm Beach County School District Police
http://www.palmbeachposcom/news/news/its-boynton-vs-delray-in-stop-the-violence-charity/nsFSL/
R
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8
SRO of the Year 2016
Senior Deputy
James Gill
Escambia County Sheriff
SAVE THE DATE
Florida Association of School Resource Officers
July 9-14, 2017
BUENA VISTA PALACE
DISNEY WORLD
ORLANDO, FL
Register at
www.FASRO.net
“Protecting our most precious resource, our children”