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- SRO
Tuesday, April 16, 2024
The Southlake Police School Resource Officer Program continues to shine as a world-class SRO Program, locally and nationally. On March 20, 2023, Sgt. Blas Hernandez was recognized as the 2023 L.E.A.D. Instructor of the Year Award. Law Enforcement Against Drugs (L.E.A.D.) is a non-profit organization, supported by dedicated police officers, committed to protecting youth and communities from the proliferation of drugs, drug-related crimes, peer-to-peer/cyber bullying and violence.
In 2020, Sgt. Hernandez and Matt Petrie, a retired SRO and former DARE Officer, began the quest for educational programs that specifically target drug safety in schools. While steeped in research, Sgt. Hernandez discovered the L.E.A.D. program while completing his master’s degree in Criminology.
When asked why a program like L.E.A.D. is important to have in our schools, Sgt. Hernandez said, “The first 5-weeks of the curriculum focus on character building and I chose L.E.A.D. because it focuses more on developing confident and resilient kids as well as equipping them with the tools needed for drug resistance. After reviewing several drug safety programs, L.E.A.D. was my top choice.”
In 2022, with overwhelming support from the City of Southlake Crime Control Prevention District board members, SPD purchased its first L.E.A.D drug resistance education curriculum which is currently offered as an elective course available to 4th, 6th and 8th grade students in Carroll ISD.
On August 17, 2022, the State of Texas Office of the Governor, Public Safety Office – Criminal Justice Division, announced that it was accepting immediate applications for the Bullet-Resistant Shield Grant Program, FY2023.
The Texas Rifle Shield Grant provides up to 50 million dollars in funding to eligible agencies specifically to purchase rifle-rated ballistic shields to respond to an active attacker scenario at schools. The Southlake Police Department completed the applications and was awarded a grant for $156,000.
After receiving the grant, on February 7, 2023, the Southlake City Council approved the purchase of 26 bullet-resistant shields for all Southlake school resource officers.
“I am proud of the work our staff has put into procuring this grant,” Chief James Brandon said. “The purchase of these shields is one more tool that our SROs and patrol officers have to increase safety.”
Congrats are in order for Southlake Police Officer Anthony Pate who was recently honored as Carroll ISD’s 2022 School Resource Officer (SRO) of the Year.
The School Resource Program is a partnership between the City of Southlake and Carroll ISD that provides enhanced security to schools as well as making an impact using a variety of coaching and mentoring methods. The program started in 2005 with just three police officers and has now expanded to an officer placed at every school in CISD.
Officer Pate has been serving as an SRO for Dawson Middle School since 2018 and has over 14 years’ experience in law enforcement.
According to a statement from Carroll ISD, “Officer Pate is dedicated to our school and community. He is known for building meaningful relationships with students, teachers, parents, and all he serves.
Principals, teachers and administrators all say that he goes above and beyond his duties. Students do not view Officer Pate as “just” a police officer; they know he is someone they can go talk to about any topic or issue they are dealing with. There have been many instances where students have gone to him for concerns because they know he cares and will do anything to help.”
“It’s an honor to receive this award in this great school district. It makes my job a lot easier working with great teachers and administrators in this district,” said Officer Pate.
This is not the first time Officer Pate has received recognition for his work as an SRO, in 2021 he received the National Award of Valor from the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO).
When asked what he enjoys most about being an SRO, it was all about the students.
“My favorite part is interacting with students by giving them guidance, education on life choices and most importantly having a meaningful conversation with them,” he stated.
Learn more about the Southlake School Safety program by visiting our website.
The new school year has started, and our school resource officers have hit the ground running to make the 2021-2022 school year great! Since the 2013-2014 school year, an SRO has been assigned to every Carroll ISD school.
The City of Southlake Police Department partners with Carroll ISD to promote and ensure student safety. We are committed to providing a safe campus and environment for the community.
Our world class SROs have been recognized by the National Association of School Resource Officers, Texas Association of School Resource Officers and locally through Carroll ISD.
“We want to create meaningful relationships with the community. If you see us while we’re at school, say hello!” Sgt. Preston Logan said.
Along with providing enhanced security, our SROs are dedicated to making a positive impact by educating students about bullying, alcohol and drug abuse, as well as bicycle safety. Our goal is to be a positive role model for your student through coaching and mentorship.
Learn more about our School Resource Officer Program on our website.
The City of Southlake working with Carroll ISD and law enforcement professionals is looking at new ways to strengthen enhance school safety in all Carroll ISD schools.
“Our most precious resource deserves our best efforts which is why I have discussed with the Southlake Crime Control and Prevention District, funding of more than $500,000 in the coming year to support the exploration and implementation of new, innovative safety and security initiatives at Southlake schools,” said Mayor Laura Hill.
(Click the play button for Mayor Laura Hill’s message about School Safety)
History of SRO Program
In early 2013, after the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, the School Resource Officer program was expanded at the recommendation of a City of Southlake-CISD-Parent task force. By the start of the 2013-2014 school year, specially-trained officers were in place at each CISD elementary school and intermediate school in addition to the officers at the middle schools and high schools.
Much of the $1,000,000 funding for these officers is from the Crime Control and Prevention District portion of the City’s sales tax. In 2015, voters re-authorized the district for 20 years helping to ensure the future of SRO program and other safety initiatives.
2017-2018 School Year
“The success of our SRO program can really be seen in the day to day interactions with CISD students,” said Police Chief James Brandon. “New investment will only further their mission keep our kids safe and focused on learning.”
In the 2017-2018 school year, the Southlake SROs have participated in more than 4,000 school patrol hours, 850 student meetings, 550 coach or mentoring hours, 450 parent meetings, 90 SRO led student classes, and 40 community presentations.
“All of these efforts have resulted in zero student citations,” said Chief Brandon. “I look forward to working with CISD, and our law enforcement community so that we can continue to see these types of outcomes in Southlake schools and students can learn and have fun without worrying too much about their safety.”
For more information on the City’s SRO program, please visit www.CityofSouthlake.com/SROs.
School Resource Officer David Tatsak finishes up some notes for an upcoming presentation at his desk. His office is located in the heart of Carroll High School at 800 North White Chapel Boulevard, his door blends in with other administrators, save for a sticky note that reads “THANK YOU FOR KEEPING US SAFE.” He glances at his watch and walks into the hallway.
“I want the students to be familiar with police before they graduate, because that’s an education in itself,” he says.
In a time of school shootings and increasing violence on campuses, trust in an armed School Resource Officer could very well be the difference between life and death. Officer Tatsak and the administration pride themselves in that they can evacuate the school in and out quickly. They have active shooter protocols that include locking the door, covering the door window with a piece of felt (found on every door), getting away from the doors and windows, and being silent. During the drills, Officer Tatsak will patrol up and down the hallway, making sure the rules are followed and ensuring there is silence. If an active shooter were on campus, they’d want to kill as many students and faculty as possible and loud talking or giggling could give away locations. But today is just a normal day.
Students and teachers often leave Officer Tatsak notes of appreciation.
With a few minutes before the class change, Officer Tatsak finds a spot to stand where he will be as visible as possible. He knows the rooms and the maze-like hallways of the school like the back of his hand. After all, he’s the front line of defense for over 1,400 students and 100 teachers and staff. Today he stands in the main foyer on the first floor, coffee in hand. The halls are empty, but that will change in a moment.
With the sheer amount of students here, there are of course students that he knows better than others. Since the beginning of the 2017-2018 school year, Officer Tatsak has worked about 20 cases. Those have primarily included drugs, truancy, and fake IDs. He also has five documented cases of bullying so far.
The administration and Officer Tatsak are aware of the students that cause the biggest issues. To prevent escalation, he makes sure to check on them two to three times a day, always greeting them, and always calling them by name. He’ll monitor their social media, talk to parents if need be, and make an extra effort to nurture the relationship. He’ll get them involved in projects he’s working on like the upcoming mock accident presentation called “Game Over.” Not only will the student be involved with the project, but Officer Tatsak will give them ownership in it, which brings a sense of pride and accomplishment.
For some, Officer Tatsak is the first time to interact daily with a police officer up close and personal. They can see his very real gun and his very real body armor. Many students only know about cops from what television and movies and gossip have told them. That cops are shooting unarmed minorities. That they’re kicking in doors every 911 call. That they write oodles and oodles of speeding tickets up Davis Boulevard. But Officer Tatsak, like every cop, is aware of these perceptions, and he’s made it his mission to change them.
“I always aim to nurture the kids, though it’s not always the warm and fuzzy variety,” he says. “Game Over” is a good example of Officer Tatsak getting real with the students. He coordinates the two day event, in which a mock distracted driving or DWI crash is played out in front of students. This year, the fictional crash involves a student actor who will play a popular, most likely to succeed kind of guy. He’ll be drunk or distracted and crash and kill a teacher. With the gravity of these situations, Officer Tatsak doesn’t hold back. As the student council writes the script, he orders B&B Wrecker Service to bring in totaled cars, he schedules Careflight, the Medical Examiner, and Southlake Fire to all come out, and he preps makeup techs to make sure to show the true gore and chaos of an accident scene. To further illustrate the fact that every quarter hour someone is killed by distracted driving or DWI, he sends in a Grim Reaper to pull students out of class every 15 minutes.
Officer Tatsak has been a police officer for over 18 years and has seen it all. “His ability to communicate lessons to the student body in a way that’s honest and open is the key to his success,” says Chief James Brandon. “He’s taught about the dangers of social media, internet safety, distracted driving, and the perils of drugs and alcohol. Working with the students face to face helps build the bonds of trust and further show he is there for them. If they have a problem, the know where to find him.”
The tone signaling the class change sounds, and the hallways fill with an endless sea of students. Officer Tatsak doesn’t miss a beat and he greets students by their name, giving a fist bump here and a high five there. These are his kids, and he’ll die to protect them.
Officer Tatsak works on reports in his office.
As you know, the school year is over and summer has begun. Let’s take a moment to recognize our wonderful School Resource Officers for providing your children with a safe and enriched school year.
The SROs work in partnership with Carroll Independent School District (CISD) to teach students valuable lessons on various topics that they can carry through life.
Here are some highlighted lessons from the 2016-2017 school year:
These are just a few of the many kinds of educational classes provided by the SROs. They also serve as positive role models through coaching and mentoring to help students make good choices and to learn about the consequences of negative behavior.
We’d like to welcome back Cheryl Womack to the Southlake Police Department’s School Resource Officer program (SRO). SRO Womack will be returning to Carroll ISD’s Johnson Elementary School on Tuesday, October 11, after a brief absence.
SRO Womack is looking forward to being reunited with her former students and meeting new students. “I really enjoy making a positive impact on students at the elementary school level. They are so eager to learn and do well in school and I am proud to be a part of that process,” said SRO Womack.
SRO Womack has been in law enforcement for more than 22 years. She holds a Master Peace Officer certification, Firearms Instructor certification, TCOLE Instructor certification, Crisis Negotiator certification, as well as being the recipient of several awards during her career as a police officer.
SROs have become a welcomed fixture on every CISD campus. They work in partnership with the Carroll Independent School District’s (CISD) staff, teachers, and parents, and their presence allows students and teachers to learn and teach in a safe environment. In addition to providing safety and security, SROs look for ways to build positive relationships with students and to help reinforce good behavior. The SRO program assists with student development by allowing SROs to fully engage students in learning about problem solving, life skills and crime prevention measures. Some of the specific topics include: age-appropriate cell phone use and safety, cyber-bullying, online computer safety and much more.
All Southlake School Resource Officers are experienced police officers. In addition to general law enforcement training, they receive specialized training before becoming an SRO. This training includes but is not limited to: instruction in Juvenile Law, Autism Awareness, Sexual Assault and Family Violence, Active Shooter Training, and other related courses.
If you would like to know more about our SRO program, feel free to talk with the SRO at your child’s school or contact the SRO supervisor, Sergeant John Stokes at jstokes@ci.southlake.tx.us.
It’s the third week of school for Carroll ISD students and they are already hard at work learning new things. Southlake School Resource Officers (SROs) are also hard at work on every campus keeping kids safe and serving as mentors and positive role models.
The School Resource Officer program works in partnership with the City of Southlake, Carroll Independent School District (CISD), staff, teachers, parents, children and the community. SROs not only provide a safe environment for students to learn and grow but they also help students beyond the classroom. They look for ways to build positive relationships with students and to help reinforce good behavior. Through this partnership and active participation, the program allows SROs to fully engage in problem solving, crime prevention measures, and the development of students.
The SROs teach many programs that provide hands-on training including:
These examples are just a sampling of the kind of mentoring and proactive educational instruction classes provided by our Southlake School Resource Officers. To give you an idea how much time SROs spend with students, in 2015, SROs held more than 4,500 meetings — mentoring kids, meeting with students and parents, and providing classroom and hands-on instruction.
SROs have become a welcomed fixture on every CISD campus. Their presence allows students and teachers to learn and teach in a safe environment. The life skills and lessons taught by Southlake SROs are an added benefit.
Background
The School Resource Officer program initially began in 1992 with three SROs. In 2013, following the escalation of violence in schools across the country, the City of Southlake and its Police Department expanded the program to put an SRO in every CISD school.
School Resource Officers are experienced officers. They receive specialized training before becoming an SRO, including but not limited to, instruction in Juvenile Law, Autism Awareness, Sexual Assault and Family Violence, Active Shooter Training, and other related courses. SROs also receive additional training throughout the year. The approximate yearly cost for the SRO program is $1 million, and it comes from a 1/8-cent sales tax through the Crime Control and Prevention District.
If you would like to know more about our SRO programs, feel free to talk with the SRO at your child’s school or contact the SRO supervisor Sgt. John Stokes at jstokes@ci.southlake.tx.us.
