The Round Rock ISD Police Department will soon welcome a new chief of police. Ryan Urrutia will join the district on Sept. 17 and is charged with leading the police department’s officers and support staff and ensuring student and staff safety throughout the district.
Urrutia currently serves as the assistant chief deputy of the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, overseeing nearly 260 officers and support staff and a nearly $26 million budget.
“I’m excited to join Round Rock ISD and provide the stability and vision that the department needs to move forward and grow even stronger,” Urrutia said.
He has served the El Paso community for more than 28 years with the sheriff’s office and has worked closely with school districts. He expanded a school resource officer program across four county school districts, growing from nine deputies to 24.
“By collaborating closely with school boards, we were able to show how effective the SRO program could be at enhancing school safety and fostering positive relationships between students and law enforcement,” Urrutia said. “We also loved holding events like ‘Coffee with a Cop,’ ‘Ballin with Badges’ and ‘Cops and Courts.’ These initiatives helped connect law enforcement and youth building trust and relationships.’
Urrutia led the establishment and growth of a crisis intervention team in the sheriff’s office, increasing from three to 10 teams pairing deputies with mental health clinicians for mental health-related calls for service.
He holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees in criminal justice from Purdue University and graduated from the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va.
