The Beat Dallas ISD Police Department March 2013 Volume 2, Issue 2 Inside this issue: Verified Alarm 2 District Leadership 2 Officer of the Month 3 Reflections on Leadership Employee of the Month 3 4 Just the Facts 4 Police Cadets 5 O/C Training 6 Chief s Corner New Town "The Aftermath" On December 14, 2012, the world of school policing was forever changed by the tragic event that occurred at the Sandy Hook Elementary School. On this day 26 people were brutally murdered by a deranged young person who suffered from very severe mental issues. In a press briefing standing alongside Mr. Miles I said "out of this horrific incident we will be better and make our schools safer in the future". On the Monday following the shooting, the Dallas ISD Police Department formed a task force that visited all 150 elementary schools in our district. During these visits we determined that our schools needed several improvements that we realized would cost millions of dollars. Our recommendations were submitted on January 8, 2013, and will be voted on for approval at the board meeting on February 28, 2013. I believe our recommendations are very sensible and will immediately make our elementary schools safer for the students, teachers and parents. These recommendations include: 1) Intercom buzzer system with a color camera on all 150 elementary schools front doors. 2) 2 Card Reader swipe systems on all 150 elementary schools in the district. 3) An 8-camera in-house system at every elementary school in the district. Continued on Page 2 Campus Safety - It s a Team Effort By: Asst. Chief Gary Hodges There are significant differences between the duties of school district police and municipal police. Many people on the outside do not know that, but if you have been here any length of time, you surely do. One of the main differences is that we are, or need to be, well versed on all aspects of school safety, in addition to our law enforcement role. Teachers and administrators need to see you as a resource for answers to security questions and advice about procedures, equipment, and emergency management best practices. We have varying levels of experience and expertise among our officers, so if you have a question about something, be sure to ask. Continued on Page 3
Page 2 The Beat Verified Alarm Response By: Lt. Calvin Howard In October 2012 Chief Craig Miller instructed Lt. Calvin Howard, Evening and Deep Night Patrol Commander, to monitor alarms calls coming into dispatch between midnight and 0200. The first week in dispatch and listening to the dispatchers dispatching officers to the same alarms on a daily basis Lt. Howard felt this problem needed correcting. During his 2 nd week and every week thereafter Lt. Howard had the dispatchers put those alarms that were coming in on a regular basis to be placed for Routine patrol. As a result of changing the process for dispatching officers on false alarm calls coming in between the designated hours there were many alarms that did not require an officer to be dispatched. The majority of the alarms coming in were the same alarms being dispatched regularly that resulted in no actions to be taken. With the shortage of patrol officers Lt. Howard and his patrol officers along with the dispatchers felt under the new response to alarms made it a lot easier on all involved. Since moni- toring these alarms and listening to the dispatchers as well as officers responding to these alarms it was determined that the majority of the alarms needed work done on them or had items hanging in various locations such as in the halls or classroom and only needed to be placed in different locations away from direct contact in the immediate area near the sensors that caused the false alarms. With 2 patrol teams (C&D) working from 6 pm 6 am some days there are 4 patrol officers, a patrol sergeant, and detective sergeant and on another shift will have 3 patrol officers and a detective sergeant. Lt. Howard took into consideration the staffing of his teams when he started reviewing the alarms his officers were responding to. Since the numbers of alarms his officers were responding to have been reduced tremendously giving his officers time to check those locations now designated as routine. Dreams seldom materialize on their own. - Dian Fossey Chief s Corner (continued) 4) "peep holes" on all 1,400 portables in the district. The total for these recommendations is $2 million while we are also going to finish out all secondary campus cameras systems which will require another $2.5 million, bringing our total request to $4.5 million. From my discussion with Trustees and Kevin Smelker I have every reason to believe this request will pass on February 28th and we will immediately start first with the installation of the "peep holes". I am so proud of our department because of the way everyone stepped up the week before the Christmas break after the New Town Shooting. Every person on our department helped to provide a safe learning environment for our kids. Meet the District Leadership Each newsletter we will introduce you to a member of the District s Senior Leadership Team, so that if they visit your campus you know who they are and what they do. This month, we will highlight Mr. Kevin Smelker, Chief of Operations. Mr. Smelker joined Dallas ISD after serving 13 years as Asst. Supt. Of Support Services in Harrison School District #2. He has held multiple roles across sectors including budget director, accounting director and assistance controller. Mr. Smelker holds a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.
Volume 2, Issue 1 Page 3 School Safety (Continued) Each campus has an Emergency Operations Plan. This is a multi-hazard plan designed so that, no matter what may trigger the emergency response, the campus is ready to respond and handle the situation until help arrives. You can help schools in this effort by asking questions, whether you are assigned to the campus or in patrol. When you have the time to do it, ask to see a copy of the Emergency Operations Plan. Check to see if it is filled out, or if office personnel even know who has a copy. Ask to see the yellow fire drill card, which should be kept close to the fire alarm panel. One fire drill a month is required, so are they doing the drills? Ask what was the last emergency drill conducted and when was it done? Where are the batterypowered lanterns and do they have fresh batteries? Where is the weather radio and does it work? We are coming up on the Spring storm season and that radio could be vital. Does staff know where the fire sprinkler control room is and how to shut off the sprinkler if it is activated and there is no fire? How will the principal communicate with staff if the school loses A/C power? Is there a Go-Kit in the main office? By asking questions, you show that you are concerned about their safety, and you may discover some weakness or need they have that we can address. You should notify Chief Hodges if you find that a campus needs equipment or if you have a question you cannot answer. Remember that you are a visible role model wherever you go. Seek the knowledge and information you need to become an expert on school safety. Leadership Reflections By: Lt. Jason Rodriguez In January, I approached my 90 day mark, assigned as a Police Lieutenant for our agency. I want to share my leadership perspective, which I have openly communicated each of your Sergeants. I established a 90-day plan, broken into three phases: Observation, Clarification, and Alignment. Each phase enabled me to fully submerse myself into each unit of our police department. More importantly, I learned the intricate, and often complex, nature of the community we serve as law enforcement officers. This created a truly unique opportunity for me to learn how substantially our agency is part of a greater cause. Law enforcement agencies of today are much different then they were 10 years ago, and they will continue to change as we progress forward, based on the needs of the community served. The Dallas ISD Police Department is not immune to this progres- sive change. As the second largest school district police department in the State of Texas, we are looked at as a valuable source of school district policing. Each member of our department plays an integral part and serves as a valuable contribution to the progression of this agency. My main focus from this point forward is to continue to increase clarity with solid expectations and align actions that serve our department's mission. I have personally communicated this plan of action to each of your Sergeants and empowered them to move forward with these expectations and actions. Undoubtedly, the most enjoyable part of this new role is working closer with all members of our department. That has been the most fulfilling and exciting part as Police Lieutenant. It is an honor to serve with you Officer of the Month Officer Epie Garfias has been selected as the Officer of the Month for January 2013. Officer Garfias has been with Dallas ISD Police Department since March of 2005. He is currently the Police Department s Range Master and a Firearms Instructor for the Department. In this position Officer Garfias has demonstrated that he is a consummate professional, and takes great pride in handling the firearms qualifications. Officer Garfias has always been willing to take any extra time necessary to help officers who might need some extra attention. In addition to this, Officer Garfias brings a vast and varied amount of experience from other agencies. He is always willing to share this knowledge and experience with younger officers, which is a benefit to the entire Department. Congratulations Officer Garfias!
Page 4 The Beat Just the Facts.. By: Det. Sgt. Walter Green As the report reviewer, on a daily basis I go through and read all reports written by officers of the department. In doing so, I ve realized that there are a lot of officers that are making their police report writing more difficult than they need to be, forgetting important elements, adding more than is needed, or just not making the report flow. I ve also learned and understand that every officer s report will always be different in the way they are presented and that s fine; however, all police reports should contain some basic information no matter who writes it or what type of offense/incident is being reported. The reason for this is that you never want your reader to get lost, or wonder what s going on while they re reading. You want to make the report as clear as possible for anyone who picks it up and to paint a picture of what happened and what you did. At the same time, the report should be in a chronological order of events. Always remember who, what, where, why, when, and how. If information such as school or location, address, phone, etc. is on the face page of the report, there is no need to repeat all of this in the narrative. If you want to identify individuals by name in the report, be consistent (i.e. don t refer to individual as Smith once, then later use Mr. Smith, James Smith or J. Smith). The individual s full name and identifiers should be listed in the involved parties section of the report. There is no need to put all of this information in the narrative, unless it is needed to prove the elements of the crime. Only put relevant information in the report; the fact that an officer was in the youth action office when they were notified by the principal via in-house radio to come to the main office about a theft of school property, could simply be stated as Officer was called to the office in reference to the theft of property. If person A tells you that person B told them that person C had their laptop stolen from the class- room, there is no need to list person A and B unless they witnessed what happened. Your report should state that person C reported her laptop stolen from the classroom. The phrase, Just the Facts, from the old TV show Dragnet really is how your report should be written "Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence." Joey Adams Employee of the Month Police Dispatcher April Claxton has been selected as the department s Non -Sworn Employee of the month for January 2013. Ms. Claxton has been with the Police Department for over twelve years. In addition to her normal dispatching duties, Ms. Claxton prepares a monthly tracking report that is shared with other departments in an effort to get repairs made to the alarm system. In addition, Ms. Claxton is always willing to go above and beyond to do whatever she can to help the department and district. Congratulation to Ms. Claxton!
Volume 2, Issue 1 Page 5 Police Cadet Program By: Asst. Chief Bill Avera Monday, February 25, 2013, was a hallmark day in the life of the Dallas ISD Police Department. For the first time in the department s history, six cadets attended their first day of class at the North Central Texas Council of Governments Regional Police Academy in Arlington. Three of the cadets was current employees of the Dallas ISD Police and Security Department, one was a teacher aide at Kleberg Elementary School, and two are newcomers to the district. The addition of a cadet program was a goal set by Chief Craig R. Miller upon his assuming the chief s position with the district. We have had extreme difficulty filling our police officer vacancies with licensed personnel and need to try something different, commented Miller. The cadets will undergo 21 weeks of basic police training at the academy, culminating in the taking of the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education peace officer licensing test in July. Once licensed, the cadets will transfer seamlessly into vacant police positions and begin their field training. The cadets are: Jessica Garcia, former dispatcher, Johanna Williams, former payroll clerk; Mario Reyna, former campus security officer; Brandon Salinas, former teacher aide; Derrick Anderson and Hunter Moore. Crime Stats By: Jon Sofley, Crime & Data Analyst Our reporting cycle for the 2012 year followed a rolling 7 day week that starts on a Friday and ends on a Thursday. The reporting period dates for the 2012 year were 12/30/2011 to 12/27/12. Each week we look at the corresponding week from the previous year s cycle to have an apples to apples comparison. Over all in our tracked offenses we saw a 19% decrease for the year. Our 2012 year started out rough with higher than average crimes against persons. This was pushed by a series of Robberies in the Skyline area in the Spring 11-12 School Year, though by the end of the reporting cycle we had stabilized and ended up with the same number of Robberies from the 2011 year. We also saw a spike in reporting of sexual offenses which occurred off campus but the outcry occurred on campus. This is partially due to better reporting by the officers so that they can be tracked easier (all sex crimes are worked by The Dallas Police Department). The other major factor in our spike in crimes against persons were assaults. The spring semester saw 20% more assaults then the previous year. These numbers normalized in the fall semester of the 2012-2013 school year. Property crimes decreased drastically in the 2012 reporting cycle. We saw a 26% decrease in property crimes with the only increase in the tracked offenses being thefts.
Dallas ISD Police Depar tment 2500 S. Ervay St Dallas, Tx 75215 Admin Phone 972-749-2300 Admin Fax 972-749-2376 Dallas ISD Police Communications 1402 Seegar St Dallas, Tx 75215 Dispatch 214-932-5627 Dispatch Fax 214-426-6965 facebook.com/disdpd @disdpolice The Dallas ISD Police Department is dedicated to ensuring an environment where students feel safe to learn, employees feel safe to work, and the community is confident in the safety of the district. The department stands ready to serve the public 24/7 O/C Spray Training By: Sgt. Terri Thomas As we prepare for Spring Break, we must also prepare for some exciting Spring training. The Dallas Police department will be hosting an O.C. Spray class for Dallas ISD Police Department on March 11 & 13,2013 from 8:00am to 5:00pm. The training will be held at The Dallas Police Academy, 5310 Red Bird Center Dr. Dallas, TX 75237 Important things you will need for the training: 1. Comfortable athletic clothing 2. Baby shampoo, or whatever you prefer to decontaminate yourself 3. Change of Clothes 4. Gun belt with holster (no- Weapons) 5. A towel Please be on time and ready to experience some great training.