‘Making a huge impact': Tampa Police roll out teen job training workshop to curb summer crime

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – The school year isn't over, but students are already looking ahead to their summer break.
The Tampa Police Department is partnering with the Hillsborough County Public School District to help at-risk teens focus on their careers.
The Shielding Our Teens program is helping students transition from the classroom to the working world.
Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw kicked off the three-week initiative at Freedom High School Monday.
Students will receive one-on-one coaching to write a resume, prepare for an interview, and ultimately land a job.
'We went from a juvenile that was on sanctions with a curfew to now a summer job,' said Chief Bercaw. 'It's making a huge impact in our community and it's another reason why our crime is continuing to go down.'
About 50 students from three high schools have been selected to participate in the program.
The Tampa Police Department offers additional free summer programs for youth.
For more information, click here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Yahoo

14-06-2025

• Yahoo

‘We will not be intimidated': Tampa Bay organizers increase security ahead of area protests

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — With dozens of Tampa Bay area protests against policies enforced by the Trump Administration expected Saturday, safety is a concern for many. In other cities, some demonstrations have turned violent. Florida state and local officials spoke against riots. 'We are not California. We do not allow rioting in the state of Florida,' said Florida State Attorney General James Uthmeier. 'We do not tolerate rioting as groups talk about assembling over the weekend, we haven't seen much of that in Florida. But if you do… we are ready across the state to ensure it is nipped in the bud right away.' 'We will kill you': Democrats, Republicans at odds over protest warning language Threats of violence have been seen on social media. The Citrus County Sheriff's Office posted about a scheduled protest in Inverness, then they followed up with a video about the post. 'I am hopeful that some of the negative comments referring to violence or disruptions are made by a small minority, and maybe not even people from Citrus County,' said Sheriff David Vincent. In Jacksonville, a man was arrested for threatening potential protesters when he posted a comment saying in part, 'I seen any large gatherings to protest ICE, I'm going to grab my buddies tow truck and plow through.' 'Well, it's certainly scary but we will not be intimidated by threats of violence,' said Helen Amburgey, an organizer with Pinellas NOW. She said their priority is getting their message across in a safe way. 'Everyone at our event is committed to a peaceful protest. We make sure of that when they sign up,' Amburgey said. 'In light of current events, we have recruited additional volunteers, additional safety marshals.' Amburgey said if someone starts causing problems during a peaceful protest, do not engage with them. Instead, she said to move to another area and get law enforcement involved if necessary. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Yahoo

14-06-2025

• Yahoo

‘We will kill you': Democrats, Republicans at odds over protest warning language

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — More than a dozen protests are planned in Tampa Bay over the weekend following a series of protests in Southern California. It's just a small fraction of the larger 'No Kings Day' demonstrations expressing their concerns about Trump Administration policies, specifically the way the president handles immigration enforcement. Florida has also become a state that is known for helping the Trump Administration manage ICE raids and deportations. Republican leaders, political and law enforcement, have issued stern warnings to protestors. Some of those warnings involved giving examples that could end in arrest or other deadly consequences. Apopka daughter asks for fair chance after parents detained, father deported Democrats are also giving advice to protestors, like Florida House Minority Leader Rep. Fentrice Driskell, of Hillsborough County. 'Keep your protests peaceful, do not be afraid to exercise your constitutional right, but just mind yourself, be aware of your surroundings,' Driskell said. Following protests in California and ahead of demonstrations across the state, some Republican officials took a more forceful approach after they said ICE agents and other law enforcement were threatened during protests in California. Gov. Ron DeSantis appeared on The Rubin Report conservative podcast this week. 'We also have a policy that if you're driving on one of those streets and a mob comes and surrounds your vehicle and threatens you, you have the right to flee for your safety. If you drive off and you hit one of these people, that's their fault for impinging on you,' DeSantis said. Brevard Sheriff Wayne Ivey issued a warning on Thursday about Florida being an 'anti-riot state' after lawmakers passed the Combating Public Disorder Act in 2021. 'If you throw a brick, a firebomb, or point a gun at one of our deputies, we will be notifying your families where to collect your remains at because we will kill you graveyard dead,' Ivey said. Driskell responded by saying this type of language is not about safety. 'All of the tough rhetoric is designed to scare people and keep them at home. It's meant to prevent people from exercising their constitutional rights and to distract from Republicans owned failed policies on immigration,' Driskell Attorney General James Uthmeier spoke at the same news conference as Ivey. The state's top law enforcement official said voters elected republicans to enforce laws and curb the number of migrants who are undocumented. 'The voters last November made loud and clear that we want to ensure law and order, we want to enforce against illegal immigration,' Uthmeier said. So far, social justice groups like the ACLU are not aware anyone has been charged under Florida's anti-riot law, which increased penalties for violent protestors and expanded the definition of a riot. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Miami Herald

10-06-2025

• Miami Herald

School teacher tries arranging sex acts with 9-year-old in Florida, feds say

A third grade teacher in the Tampa Bay area tried arranging sex acts with a 9-year-old girl while messaging someone he believed was their parent, according to federal prosecutors in Central Florida. When Lee Hughes, 45, of Pinellas Park, went to an 'agreed-upon location' on May 1 to meet with the child for sex acts, he was instead arrested as part of an undercover sting operation, prosecutors said. Hughes taught at Pinellas Preparatory Academy, WFLA-TV reported. The school announced on May 2 that Hughes was 'immediately terminated' in connection with his arrest. Before he was taken into custody, Hughes had been communicating with an undercover officer since June 2024 and repeatedly shared his desire to sexually abuse the undercover officer's 'purported' 9-year-old daughter, according to federal court filings. Now Hughes faces federal child exploitation charges. A superseding indictment charges Hughes with attempted transmission of harmful material to a minor, attempted enticement or coercion of a minor and receipt and possession of child sexual abuse material, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida said in a June 9 news release. Hughes' court-appointed federal public defender, Regine Soraya Lauren Etienne, didn't immediately return McClatchy News' request for comment June 10. In a motion seeking Hughes' pretrial detention, prosecutors wrote 'Hughes is currently employed as a third-grade teacher, which is the same age of child as he was attempting to coerce and entice over the past ten months to engage in illicit sexual activity with him.' On May 9, Hughes was ordered detained ahead of trial by U.S. Magistrate Judge Amanda Arnold Sansone, court records show. While messaging the undercover officer, Hughes sent them about 10 sexually explicit photos and videos of himself and asked the officer to show the images to their decoy daughter, according to prosecutors. In videos Hughes shared, prosecutors wrote in court documents that he was heard speaking with a noticeable British accent. Though he now lives in Pinellas County, Hughes is initially from the United Kingdom, according to prosecutors. 'Hughes had ample opportunity to cease his communications with the undercover officer regarding his desired sexual abuse of a nine-year-old child; however, Hughes persisted,' court documents say. On Hughes' cell phone, law enforcement discovered he had exchanged child sexual abuse material, according to prosecutors. If Hughes is convicted of all charges, he would face a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and up to life in prison, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. Concerns or suspicions about child sexual exploitation can be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's CyberTipline online or by calling 1-800-843-5678.