School Based Law Enforcement
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This is our core responsibility-interacting with young adults and school administrators to ensure they have a safe educational environment. Every high school has at least one Police Officer assigned to the campus and every middle school has one Police Officer assigned to the campus.
EPISD Police Officers assigned to campuses do double-duty acting as the resident law enforcement officials, and regularly participate in self-initiated classroom discussions. This "specialized" policing allows students another opportunity to understand and appreciate their relationship with those sworn to protect them. Officers often develop their own curriculum and course materials and discuss with students current events and other topics relating to law enforcement, community activities, and personal achievements with students.
As sworn police officers, school-based Police Officers play a unique role in preserving order and promoting safety on campus by, for example:
- Assuming primary responsibility for handling calls for service from the school and in coordinating the response of other police resources
- Addressing crime and disorder problems, gangs, and drug activities occurring in or around the school
- Documenting incidents and making arrests
- Providing leads and information to the appropriate investigative units
- Taking action against unauthorized persons on school property
- Responding to off-campus criminal incidents that involve students
- Serving as liaisons between the school and the police and providing information to students and school personnel about law enforcement matters.
- Beyond serving in a crime prevention and response role, School Based Police Officers are likely to serve as first responders in the event of critical incidents at schools, such as accidents, fires, explosions, and other life threatening events. In addition, School Based Police Officers often support advance planning for managing crisis, including assisting with: Developing incident response systems
- Developing and coordinating emergency response plans (in conjunction with other emergency responders)
- Incorporating law enforcement onto school crisis management teams
- Developing protocols for handling specific types of emergencies
- Rehearsing such protocols using exercises, drills, mock evacuations and lockdowns.