In 2026, the Socorro Independent School District Police Department is celebrating 25 years of growth, service and dedication to keeping SISD students, staff and families safe.

From a small department that began with just four officers to one of the largest law enforcement agencies in the El Paso area, the SISD Police Department has grown alongside the rapidly expanding community it serves.

“I believe when I started, we had maybe 18, 19 schools, and now we're up to 50,” said Frank Del Toro, who has served as a police officer for 19 years and is the longest-serving officer in the department.

“Back in the day, we were still at the Student Activities Complex in a portable. I’ve worked under five chiefs, and I think over seven associate superintendents here within the district,” Del Toro added.

Del Toro joined the department in 2007 after serving as a police officer in Anthony, Texas. His children graduated from El Dorado and Pebble Hills high schools, and his grandchildren currently attend Pebble Hills High School. During his tenure, Del Toro celebrated the opening of more than a dozen schools and saw the Far Eastside transform into a thriving community filled with families, businesses and increasing traffic.

“So, when I came out here, there was desert everywhere. There wasn't pretty much anything past El Dorado (High School) and Sun Ridge (Middle School) … Next thing you know, it just blew up like crazy,” Del Toro recalled.

Growing to meet the need

Alongside that growth, the SISD Police Department has expanded to meet the needs of its students, staff and families, becoming the third-largest local law enforcement agency in the El Paso area with 60 officers and state-of-the-art emergency preparedness capabilities.

"When I started, I was the 28th officer," recalled SISD Police Chief George Johnson. "We have many specialized units. We have full-time detectives that are working within the department, and they're working major cases. They're doing accident investigations, accident reconstructions. They're working major crimes. So they do a lot of things that weren't normal for a school district police department before.”

Today, the department maintains a fully trained SWAT team, crisis negotiation capabilities, a traffic unit, a K-9 unit certified in narcotics and weapons detection and a Criminal Investigations Division.

SISD detectives also are assigned to the El Paso Fusion Center, an all-crimes, all-hazards intelligence hub operated by the El Paso Police Department, providing real-time information sharing and threat assessment capabilities.

The department has also built strong partnerships with local law enforcement agencies, including the El Paso Police Department and the El Paso County Sheriff's Office, allowing for coordinated responses to emergencies and critical incidents.

Creating community connections

Johnson said the department has expanded significantly since he joined SISD in 2014 as the district’s first Traffic Enforcement Officer and Special Traffic Investigator. He was promoted to lieutenant and served in that role for five years before becoming chief in 2022.

One of the department's biggest accomplishments has been its shift toward community-focused policing.

"We've transitioned more from being a school-based police force to a community-based policing force, which is completely different than most other agencies,” Johnson said. "We're here to serve the district and the community."

That commitment has led to programs and initiatives that extend beyond campus safety.

Among them is the department's Blue Santa program, which Frank Del Toro helped bring to El Paso after learning about the initiative while attending training in Austin.

“Our department had the first Blue Santa here in El Paso," Del Toro proudly said.

In addition to Blue Santa, officers have organized Thanksgiving food drives, food pantry programs and community outreach initiatives aimed at connecting with families in ways that go beyond regular law enforcement interactions.

For Del Toro, however, the most rewarding part of the job is the students.

"If you work for the district, you have to love kids. It's all about the kids and seeing them grow, letting them make their mistakes, and teaching them how to correct those mistakes."

Ready to serve

When Vanessa Cordero Castelo joined the department in 2003 as a dispatcher, dispatch operations were housed in a small portable building with limited technology.

"We had one black-and-white monitor," Cordero Castelo recalled.

Today, dispatchers use advanced computer systems such as the computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system that helps officers respond faster and more effectively to calls.

Over the years, Cordero Castelo has moved from dispatch operations to managing the budget, payroll and administrative tasks. She still supports emergency communications when needed and says she enjoys being an integral part of the police department.

“I've learned a little bit of everything,” Cordero Castelo said.

The focus of the SISD Police Department remains on protecting students and staff, supporting schools and strengthening relationships with the community they serve.

For Johnson, leading the department during its 25th anniversary is among the proudest moments of his career.

"Incredible," Johnson said, referring to the department's first 25 years. “We're in our pre-adolescence stage because there are departments that have existed far longer than we have. So, we're only getting better.”

Click here to learn more about the SISD Police Department celebrating 25 years of service