The Clearwater Police Department is an outstanding and valuable community partner. Under the leadership of Chief Daniel Slaughter, USF and Clearwater Police Department signed an MOU with the intention of forming a long-term collaboration that is beneficial to CPD, and USF's faculty and students. Major David Dalton, a graduate of the Department of Criminology's MACJA program, has been the primary point of contact throughout these efforts. A number of initiatives and studies have occurred as a result of this relationship including the use of service dogs in investigations, efforts to reduce car burglary, and the implementation of a sexual assault prevention program for bar staff in tourist areas.

Most recently, the Clearwater Police Department has asked faculty to assist in researching and developing an officer mental health program. The need for such a program is underscored by the number of police suicides in the Tampa Bay area within the last year. A number of faculty are already involved in the project including: Dr. George Burruss, Dr. Kathleen Heide, Dr. Rick Moule, Dr. Ráchael Powers, Dr. Bryanna Fox, Dr. Max Bromley, and Dr. Kathy Moore from our college's Mental Health Law and Policy Department. It is the team's intention to seek grant funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, National Institute of Justice, National Science Foundation, and potential private sources such as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. This grant would be used to fund Criminology graduate students' involvement in this project.