This week, as a new school year begins, I am encouraging participation in our new Hallway Heroes program to keep students safe and help law enforcement stop crime. 

This initiative aims to foster positive relationships between students and their school resource officers. By building bonds of trust with these Hallway Heroes, children will feel more comfortable to report suspicious activity or when they have been victimized. Our office is making crime prevention posters available to schools statewide, encouraging students to get to know their school resource officers.

The idea for Hallway Heroes came from stories about students reporting concerning situations to school resource officers—providing the officers with the information needed to go after those that may harm our children. As the mother of a school-aged child, I am excited about this new initiative to further strengthen these important relationships.

Hallway Heroes introduces three different styles of crime-prevention posters to schools—tailored to the age group of the students. In the case of middle and high schoolers, the posters include information on how to use **TIPS, the anonymous, statewide crime-tip reporting line. While the messages vary based on maturity level, the overall goal is to instill confidence in students to feel comfortable confiding in their Hallway Hero. 

By working to strengthen the relationship between school resource officers and the students they serve, we can increase school safety and build a Stronger, Safer Florida.