Kicking off our Meet the Officer series for the school year, we talked to Round Rock ISD Police Chief Dennis Weiner. Chief Weiner explains how he got into law enforcement and how that career turned into a passion for protecting students and staff.
With the help of volunteers and community partners, Round Rock ISD kicked off the new school year in a big way. Nearly 8,000 community members came out for health screenings, including hearing exams and vaccinations, family fun, and even finger-nail painting from the Round Rock ISD police officers.
Navigate 360 is a cloud-based platform that allows campuses, administrators, and the Behavioral Health department to quickly get students the help they need when it comes to behavior and mental challenges students can face.
Behavioral Therapy Dogs help students with anxiety and stress. They can be brought in to de-escalate a situation and provide a calming effect for students. And when the dogs are not busy on the job they can be found visiting the schools and getting petted by all students and staff.
Officer Lehmann says his number one priority is giving the students a safe and secure atmosphere so they can reach their fullest potential while they’re at school.
District Police Officer Jeffrey Rask is a patrol officer for the District and spends most days traveling throughout Round Rock ISD checking on numerous campuses. He says his main goal is to build relationships with the kids and be an advocate for them and the staff as well.
District Police Officer Robert Gauvin says he joined the Round Rock ISD police department to get back to interacting with people on a human level and being the community leader a police officer is meant to be.
This Williamson County Juvenile Services video was produced to help families, and loved ones recognize signs that their children or friends may be struggling with mental health issues. Community experts from Rock Springs Hospital, Bluebonnet Trails Community Services, and Georgetown Behavioral Health Institute offer advice on talking to kids about their feelings and coping when wrestling with anxiety and depression.
District Police Officer Angelina Alvear always dreamed of becoming a police officer. “I always wanted to help people and be there for them in their time of need.”
McNeil High School District Police Officer Lauren Griffith played sports throughout high school and college. She never envisioned herself being a school police officer but quickly realized her passion for connecting with students through sports and being someone they can reach out to when in need.
District Police Officer Armando Villescaz became a police officer to help people. Although a large part of his focus is on safety, he wants the students and campus community at Cedar Ridge High School to know that they can laugh and joke together while learning more about each other as individuals.
Officer Ron Cole is the District Police Officer for Walsh Middle School in Round Rock ISD. Officer Cole says he has a personal mission statement “to have a positive active role in the safety of the community I live in.”
The behavioral health services department in Round Rock ISD is taking a holistic approach when it comes to serving the students in the district and that includes support from school counselors, social workers, mental health professionals and even District police officers. The goal is to ensure the student has all they need to be successful in the classroom.
District Officer Daniel Magallanes says when he joined the police department it immediately felt like family. Officer Magallanes is a patrol officer on the westside of the District, meaning he is not stationed on one particular campus but checks in on multiple campuses each day.
Meet District Police Officer Sam Chavez, he is one of the district police officers that patrol several campuses in Round Rock ISD. Sam says “my goal is just to be part of the community just to be a part of these kid’s lives as they grow up into adulthood and being an impact on them and being able to mentor and shepherd them into adults.”
