PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — The Palm Beach County School District Police Department is conducting summer training to keep officers' skills sharp before the new school year begins.
Officers with the Palm Beach County School District Police Department are hitting the mat this summer to sharpen their defensive tactics skills before students return to campus.
The training goes beyond what Florida requires. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement mandates officers complete 40 hours of continuing education to maintain certification. The department said it conducts additional ongoing training, particularly during the summer months.
Police Chief Sarah Mooney said the extra preparation is intentional.
"It's something that we do over and beyond what our state mandates are. We try to do ongoing training, especially when we're not in school to keep the officers busy, keep their skills sharpened, and get the camaraderie together," Mooney said.
Mooney said school safety is built on multiple overlapping systems.
"Everything that we do security-wise, there's layers. There's layers upon layers upon layers," Mooney said.
Instructor Larry Laureano leads the defensive tactics training. He said the sessions prepare officers to handle the most intense situations while keeping everyone involved safe.
"We have to be able to control these individuals without causing any pain, without hurting anybody, even though they may be resisting. We still have to be able to control the situation, escort people down to the ground, place some in handcuffs if necessary," Laureano said.
Mooney said the safety of everyone on campus is the department's top priority — and that requires officers to be ready for situations that can escalate without warning.
"This reminds you that this really can be something that goes from 1 to 100 in an instant," Mooney said.
She said that readiness extends to a wide range of scenarios officers may encounter on school grounds.
"You never know if you're dealing with an irate parent or just somebody who randomly walks onto a campus; you just have to be alert to everything all the time," Mooney said.
The department said it is ready as the new school year approaches in the coming weeks.