FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
7/13/2010

Contact: William Edwards, PISD PD Chief 512-670-5551 or Terri Waggoner, Public Information Officer 512-990-6115

Pflugerville ISD Police Department Receives Award of Excellence

As the Pflugerville ISD (PISD) Police Department completes its second full year of operation, it is increasingly apparent that people are taking notice. The PISD Police Department received the School-Based Law Enforcement Award of Excellence in early July at the Texas School-Based Law Enforcement (TxSBLE) conference, in Corpus Christi In recognition of its dedication, commitment, and collaborative efforts for being proactive in the prevention of school violence throughout its schools and the community.

"What better link can citizens have between community policing and safe schools than a school-based law enforcement program rooted in a positive, meaningful school and law enforcement partnership?," Curtis Clay, Director of Programs and Outreach for the Texas School Safety Center said. "Pflugerville Independent School District has done just that at a time when budgets are tight and expectations for service are high."

The ISD Police Department was built on a unique model of community policing founded through an ongoing Inter-local Agreement with the City that established the PISD Police Department as a separate organization within the Pflugerville Police Department. The agreement requires a commitment to consistent safety and security for all campuses, good working relationships among campus administrators and law enforcement, and support from both the School Board and the City Council.

PISD is served by 16 PISD PD officers, including two SROs at each of three high schools, one SRO at each of five middle schools, one detective, one K-9 unit, two sergeants and a police chief. Administrative Support is shared between the City and the School District and PISD has assigned a staff member to serve as the day-to-day liaison with the police department. PISD PD plans to add an officer to the Opportunity Center next school year.

The TxSBLE Conference is hosted annually by the Texas School Safety Center at Texas State University as an opportunity for school-based law enforcement officers, school resource officers, school administrators, educators, parents, and security personnel to receive training on best practices in school safety and security.

The Texas School Safety Center designed the conference to focus on timely and relevant topics such as: emergency operations, active shooter tactical response, homeland security, gang awareness/intervention, dating violence, incident command system, and other current trends. It also uses the conference as an opportunity to recognize outstanding school safety individuals and organizations, including Pflugerville ISD, for their efforts to keep schools and communities safe.

For more information on the PISD PD, visit www.cityofpflugerville.com/pisdpd.

###