Santa Fe College Police Department

We are thankful to former SFPD Chief (and current Reserve Officer) Ed Book’s commitment and dedication to the LETR Alachua County, Florida!

2027 may be a few months away, but we’re already hard at work collaborating, and planning ahead!

The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office recently hosted a kickoff meeting to start planning for the 2027 Special Olympics Torch Run in Alachua County.

Representatives from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, Alachua Police Department, Gainesville (FL) Police Dept, Florida Department of Corrections, Florida Highway Patrol, HSPD, Celebration Pointe, and Commissioner Ed Book came together to start coordinating another incredible year of support for Special Olympics Florida.

A special highlight of the meeting was Commissioner Ed Book, a longtime supporter and dedicated organizer of the Torch Run, presenting Sheriff Chad Scott with a flag made from past years’ Torch Run T-shirts, symbolizing the community’s continued commitment to the athletes and the mission of Special Olympics.

We’re grateful for the strong partnerships that make this event possible and look forward to another successful Torch Run in 2027. Be on the lookout for future dates and updates on Alachua County Special Olympics events! LETR Alachua County, Florida

Join us with all of our friends for this awesome & highly impactful women’s self defense class!

Starting NEXT month, in partnership with the Gainesville Police Department, Santa Fe College Police Department, and the University of Florida Public Safety, we are proud to bring you our FREE R.A.D. Self-Defense Course for women.

This course teaches awareness, prevention, and risk reduction, then moves into hands-on defense tactics taught by certified R.A.D. instructors. It’s practical, proven self-defense designed to be effective and empowering.

Spots are limited, so be sure to sign up today to reserve your place:
https://forms.gle/mLUCU4tCSrokfcsg9

Want to learn more about the R.A.D. program?
Visit: https://acso.us/rad-and-safe/

New School Year, New SRO!

SFPD is excited to introduce Officer Mo (Mohanan) as the new School Resource Officer at the SF Academy of Science and Technology!

A proud military veteran, Officer Mo brings experience in law enforcement, public service, and working with children and families. With his upbeat personality and approachable nature, he’s looking forward to becoming a familiar and trusted face on campus.

For Officer Mo, being an SRO is about more than keeping the campus safe—it’s about building relationships, supporting students and staff, and being a positive part of the school community.

We’re excited to have him representing SFPD at SFCAST and joining us in welcoming the students back for a new school year!

Thank you to everyone who joined us today at the Santa Fe College Gym for the 27th Annual Stop the Violence Back to School Rally!

It was a pleasure taking part in this incredible event and seeing so many families come together to enjoy entertainment, connect with local resources, and prepare for the upcoming school year.

Events like these remind us how much can be accomplished when our community comes together with a shared commitment to supporting our youth. Thank you to all of the organizers, community partners, volunteers, and attendees who helped make today such a memorable event.

We were proud to be part of it and hope everyone has a safe and successful school year! 💙🚔📚

This is a reminder that the SFPD’s headquarters on the Santa Fe College NW campus is a “Safe Trade” space, open 24/7, and available for anyone to safely exchange goods.

Be smart and be safe!

𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Shortly before 12:45 p.m. on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, deputies responded to the 700 block of SW 69th Street following a reported armed robbery.

During the investigation, deputies learned that two individuals had traveled to Gainesville to sell items to a person they had met through Facebook. While meeting with the individual and showing one of the items for sale, they were approached by two masked suspects dressed in black clothing. One of the suspects was armed with a handgun.

The suspects forcibly took the items the victims had brought to sell before fleeing the area on foot in a northwesterly direction. The individual who had arranged the transaction also fled the scene and was later determined to have been involved in the criminal activity, having allegedly lured the victims to the location as part of the robbery.

At this time, detectives believe this was an isolated incident. The three suspects remain outstanding, and the investigation is ongoing.

Anyone who may have information about this incident, or who observed suspicious activity in the area around the time it occurred, is encouraged to contact Detective C. Weitzel at (352) 367-4161 or by email at [email protected].

As online marketplace transactions continue to grow in popularity, we encourage community members to take precautions when meeting with individuals they do not know. Whenever possible, arrange exchanges in well-lit, public locations, consider bringing another person with you, and remain aware of your surroundings. If something about a transaction feels unusual or unsafe, trust your instincts and consider ending the interaction.

This remains an active investigation. To protect the integrity of the case, no additional information is being released at this time.

Today we received a visit from The Rock of Gainesville this afternoon as they delivered homemade goodies, Officer treat bags, and thank you cards for our personnel! This group took a tour of our department, shared words of encouragement, and prayed over personnel!

This organization, annually, visits all of the public safety agencies in our region as a way of recognizing the sacrifice that we all do on a daily basis.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you!

Today, Lt. Barley - in partnership with the Santa Fe College Foundation - met with K9s For Warriors Director Greg Wells to donate much needed equipment to further their mission of saving veterans through service dogs. This equipment included collapsible crates, beds, a K9 trauma pack, harness, collar, and more.

This incredible organization - born out of the desperate need to end veteran su***de - pairs a dozen warriors a month suffering from PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and/or military sexual trauma with a service dog. These warriors are housed for an 18 day program with their service dog at the K9 for Warriors campus in St. John’s County at no cost to the veteran.

For more information on the K9 for Warriors program:

https://k9sforwarriors.org

We are grateful this organization exists!

The SFPD received a visit from Joey today who dropped off his famous homemade brownies! We are extremely grateful that young individuals, such as Joey, value law enforcement in their community!

Thank you, Joey!