United I.S.D keeps thousands safe

          Who supervises the children when the parents are not there?  What originally became a place for attending and receiving an education soon became a target for the possession of handguns, causing danger, and fear among the students and parents in Texas. Parents may begin to wonder how the security enforcement in schools is being enforced for their children to be safe on campus against gangs, drugs, and illegal possessions. The United Independent School District Police have taken safe precaution measures throughout the years to have the students on campus safe from any dangerous activity occurring on campus.

          Leonardo Gutierrez,, Records and Evidence Officer, is ensuring parents that the children are safe for every precaution is being taken to prevent a deadly incident from occurring. UISD's Crime Stoppers Program involves the participation anonymously of anyone who has tips leading to a crime. Along with the program, the students have police on campus and are being supervised during school hours by cameras planted on different sections around the school. The schools perimeter also has posters that state that Weapons are Prohibited along with metal detectors at the entrances of the school. Students and visitors of all grade levels are required to go by the metal detectors and are subject to search backpacks and handbags. In case of the metal detector alarm is to go off, the individual is subject to a pat down, and if a weapon is found, that individual will be charged for a possession of a handgun.  Any individual that refuses to walk through the metal detector will be refused further entrance to the campus. The officers on campus are also trained to perform and handle hand held metal detectors as a second screening.

          Juan Morales, Radio Operator, has a special room in the police station where cameras are monitoring the campus activity live. The ability to zoom in and out and capture a person is also available.  The cameras focus on the entrances of the schools, the buildings, the gym, and the parking lot. All the information on camera is stored approximately from 10 to 30 days depending on the video on multiple hard drives. This is used in case a crime occurs, officers may go back and seek the evidence they need. In case of a crime being spotted, the UISD Police have access to the Sheriff's Department and can contact the Laredo Police to report the activity. 

          Officer German Mendiola Jr, Peace Officer, states that officers may also view the schools' cameras through their personal desk where at times it can get really chaotic, and officers can't leave their rooms for they are answering calls.

          The district is also prepared for an incident of a shooting occurring on campus. In the P.A system, "LOCKDOWN" will be repeated three times. With that, teachers will be responsible for locking their classrooms and ensuring the classroom is safe. The sign of stating there is no danger is to put a green sticker outside the door. Students who are in the halls are to enter the nearest classroom available and join the others. The first responders to the call will sweep the building and check that all classrooms have the safety sticker outside the door.

          If a student is noticed carrying a handgun, the teacher should notify the campus police officer along with an administrator, whom will approach the student quietly and remove the student from the classroom and conduct further research out of the classroom for the protection of the students and the teacher.

          Not only are the schools being supervised during schools hours, and are protected by alarms, there are also two officers covering an evening shift. The officers are responsible for taking calls after school hours and reporting them for further investigation, such as a complaint down to the burglar alarm going off.

          The UISD Police have slowly increased their security throughout the years. The monitoring system began 6 years ago with only two monitors, but today, there are three each carrying multiple shots of the schools.

(Judith Rayo may be reached at Judith@dusty.tamiu.edu)