Duncanville ISD Police Department works to create a safe environment for students, faculty
DUNCANVILLE (CBSNewsTexas.com) – As students return to the classroom at Duncanville ISD, they'll be greeted with staff and a growing police force making sure everybody is safe.
"Every year, every summer we're evolving. We're trying something different we're trying to make it more secure," said Mitchell Lambert, Duncanville ISD chief of police.
Lambert is creating an environment where everyone feels safe with his team of 26 people watching over 18 campuses.
"We constantly monitor and patrol each campus daily, there's not really a campus they stick with. We do have a representative over the department at every school that we check in with, the principles and students alike have programs where we can stay after school with them so we're prepared," Lambert said.
Before this school year started, his staff checks each access point and makes sure the doors have properly working locks. Students will walk through metal detectors. There are even new cameras keeping an eye on everything and everyone.
"We really want to have a sense of we are watching your student in a positive light to ensure their safety," said Lambert.
Keeping it positive with the hope it'll build a better connection between students and these officers.
"Speaking with the student on different level sometimes we get a lot more different information coming out than they would say to their principal or the teacher. So we try to have a relationship with them to where we see what's going on in that individual's life and not take just for face value," said Lambert.
When it comes to communications, Lambert said they want to keep an open line of communication with parents and students to address any concerns they may have.
There's a place on the district's website to report any suspicious behavior.
New this year, Duncanville ISD launched Talking Points which is a system that can translate communication in any language the family speaks.
