TAMPA, Fla. — Gun violence across Tampa Bay is increasing. It's a problem law enforcement is working on, but in the meantime, local businesses, schools and organizations are taking safety into their own hands.
Many are doing training to deal with crisis situations. A retired Tampa police officer is now sharing her 23 years of experience and training to help others.
As an officer, Felicia Pecora did everything from teaching at the police academy to training in defensive tactics, some undercover work and even a bomb technician. She has been to many crime scenes and is now taking what she has learned and helping others protect themselves or at the very least be ready for any unexpected situation.
"There should be nothing keeping you from enjoying your life," Pecora said. "So it really is about giving people the feeling that they are safe by showing them what not safe looks like."
She says it's proven that businesses that train in safety awareness as a team always fare better in unexpected situations than businesses that don't. When she works with groups, she does an online course first and then holds a class in person, to go through some possible scenarios and do some role-playing.
One thing she says is vital — making connections with people you work with. She says a connection can keep someone from doing something they shouldn't.
"Connected people will not harm you, typically," Pecora said. "But if they feel unconnected... and it's true with domestic violence, it's true with students. As a matter of fact, what I tell teachers, 'You know the kid that nobody wants to sit by, you went to school with a kid like that, nobody wants to sit by them, there's something off. That's the kid that you must talk to. That's the kid that you have to help feel connected to everybody else.'"
Felicia has worked with several schools in the area, giving this type of information and even going onsite to look for vulnerabilities and set up drills.