Dear Lee County Families, Students, Educators, and Community Members,
As another school year begins, I want to extend my best wishes to every student, teacher, administrator, and parent across Lee County. The first day of school is an exciting time filled with new opportunities, and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office is committed to ensuring that every child has a safe and secure learning environment from the moment they leave home until they return each afternoon.
School safety remains one of our highest priorities. Our deputies work year-round to prepare for the start of each school year, partnering closely with the School District, school administrators, and community stakeholders to provide a comprehensive approach to campus security.
Our dedicated School Resource Officers (SROs) are more than law enforcement officers—they are mentors, protectors, and trusted members of each school community. Every public school campus in Lee County is staffed with a highly trained deputy whose mission is to build positive relationships while remaining prepared to respond immediately to any emergency.
The Sheriff’s Office also maintains a specialized School Threat Enforcement Team (STET) that investigates every reported school threat thoroughly and without exception. Whether a threat is made in person, online, through social media, or as a joke, we will investigate it. Threats against our schools are taken seriously, and individuals who make them will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. There is no such thing as “just a joke” when it comes to the safety of our children.
Transportation safety is another critical component of our mission. Through our Bus Patrol initiative, we work alongside Superintendent Dr. Denise Carlin and her incredible team at the School District of Lee County, to educate motorists and enforce traffic laws designed to protect students entering and exiting school buses. Drivers must remain alert, eliminate distractions, and always stop for school buses displaying a stop arm and flashing red lights. These laws exist for one reason, to save lives.
Parents also play an essential role in keeping our schools safe. I encourage you to have ongoing conversations with your children about responsible social media use, reporting suspicious behavior, and speaking up if they see or hear something concerning. If you see something, say something. Prompt reporting allows law enforcement to investigate concerns before they become emergencies.
As students return to school, I also ask every driver to slow down in school zones, obey crossing guards, watch carefully for children walking or riding bicycles, and exercise patience during morning and afternoon traffic. A few extra moments of caution can make all the difference.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office remains committed to providing the highest level of service and protection to our schools and our community. Together, through vigilance, partnership, and shared responsibility, we can ensure that every student has the opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed in a safe environment.
On behalf of the men and women of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, thank you for your continued support. We wish everyone a safe, successful, and rewarding school year.
Stay safe, and God bless.
Sheriff Carmine Marceno
Lee County Sheriff’s Office
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