Amid reverence to the Law Enforcement Oath of Honor, 14 new Brownsville Independent School District police officers were sworn into office Wednesday morning at the Hanna Performing Arts Center.
The infusion brought the BISD Police and Security Department’s total force to more than 60 police officers, more than 70 security officers, and seven dispatchers, Police Chief Oscar Garcia said.
Three new security officers also were welcomed into the department during the swearing-in ceremony, and a security officer was recognized for having performed a life-saving Heimlich maneuver.
BISD is transitioning to having an armed police officer at each of its elementary school campuses. BISD has had armed officers at every middle school and high school for many years.
The impetus to beef up staff comes after the tragedy at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde last May in which 19 students and two teachers were killed when an 18-year-old former student got into the building with a semi-automatic weapon.
There we’re several references to the tragedy, all vowing to do everything possible to make sure nothing even remotely similar ever happens in Brownsville and recognizing the role BISD police and security officers play in keeping students, staff and the public safe.
Wednesday was also the 10th anniversary of the Sandy Hook school shooting in Connecticut.
“Our school district is a little safer today because of these new officers,” Superintendent Rene Gutierrez said.
“Being a police officer, security officer, having a police department in our school district is more than just patrolling the schools, being at the schools and keeping our schools and our students and staff safe. That is the number one priority, but officers and our securities go above and beyond. Brownsville ISD never sleeps,” Gutierrez said in closing remarks, noting that police and security officers staff every kind of school activity from athletic contests to concerts to UIL events in Brownsville, the Rio Grande Valley and across the state.
“You all know what happened in Uvalde. …Our safety and security has skyrocketed now in terms of what we need to do as a district to keep everyone safe,” Gutierrez said, also crediting the BISD Board of Trustees with “being completely supportive to make sure our students are safe, our staff is safe and we have all the resources necessary to make sure we have a first-class police department.”
The 14 officers sworn in included Emmanuel Reyes, Luiz Bazan, Maria Mendoza, Cassandra Lozano, Jose M. Guevara, Emmanuel Hernandez, Orlando Alvarez, Jose Loredo, Ashley Garza, Gabriel Alvarez, Eric Flores, Joaquin Hernandez, Alexi Paez, and Oscar Sanchez.
Juan J. Medina was appointed telecommunicator officer, a top designation for dispatchers.
Security officers Raul Ayala, Victor E. Cisneros and Kevin Robertson were welcomed into the department.
Juan A. Martinez, a 14-year security officer, was recognized for having performed the Heimlich maneuver Sept. 30 at Garza Elementary School and saving a 7-year-old student’s life. Martinez also performed the maneuver when assigned to Yturria Elementary, with a similar result, Health Services Director Alonso Guerrero said.
