SISD Police Officer Smiling

#TeamSISD – ALL IN for Safety

The Socorro Independent School District is more than an educational institution. It’s home to 47,000+ students, 7,000 employees and thousands of families that love and care about Team SISD. It is where we learn, work, live and spend countless hours together.

We experience everything together. Happiness, excitement, sadness, nervousness, joy, appreciation … all the emotions … we feel them together as a team, as a family, as a tight-knit community that takes care of each other, cheers for each other, and is there for each other no matter what.

Family, unity and teamwork has always been at the core of the SISD legacy, and this is why we are All In for Team SISD. We recognize that as we work and live together for the good and benefit of the children in our community – your children, my children, our children – we are connected by the fundamental belief that what we do, what we must do, is in the best interest of our students, our children.

Being All In #TeamSISD is an undeniable relationship we all have with one another in Socorro and our community. Our family members, friends, co-workers, classmates – all of us --we’re connected in a special way that reminds us that as we go about our daily business to seize our opportunities in Team SISD in the end it will benefit us all.

Keeping our students, staff and schools safe and secure remains our number one priority. Team SISD is ALL IN for Safety and works diligently to sustain proactive safety and security measures. With a first-rate police department, dedicated officers and staff members who work and live in the district, keeping students and schools safe is not just a job. It is a familial duty in the tight-knit Team SISD.

It is a commitment that we all have together in our many roles in Team SISD -- teachers, principals, bus drivers, custodians, police officers, counselors, secretaries, cafeteria employees, just to name a few. We’re all in to care for and protect our community.

“My hope is that the community we live in, that we work in sees that we are involved in the community. We are concerned about our own personal community, which is the school district and the full community that encompasses our schools.”

SISD Police Chief George Johnson  

“I am very passionate about this job. I think having kids in the district makes me even more passionate about it. I don’t want to go to work thinking its work. I go to work thinking ‘Oh, it’s my second family.”

SISD Officer Kymberly Rios  

“We must be vigilant and see the big picture. Not just to protect one campus, we’ve got to look at all the campuses and keep everyone safe -- all our children and the adults and anybody that visits our campus.”

SISD Sgt. Emilio Martinez  

Officer holding door open for student

SISD Police Department

The first-rate SISD police department is the third largest local law enforcement agency in the El Paso region with more than 60 police officers. A year before Texas HB3, which requires armed officers at all schools, Superintendent Dr. Nate Carman reorganized the SISD police department to assign a police officer to every campus. The SISD police force works in tandem with the district’s security officers to keep schools safe. SISD officers work collaboratively with city, county, and state agencies during emergency situations to ensure swift and appropriate action to protect our school communities.

The SISD police force fulfills its state requirements and more in its efforts to protect schools as it is equipped with specialty officers and units. The department has a fully trained SWAT team, an officer assigned to crisis negotiations, a traffic unit, a K-9 unit that is narcotics and weapons certified and a criminal investigation division. SISD detectives also are assigned to the El Paso Fusion Center, an all-crimes, all hazards tactical information and intelligence hub for the El Paso Police Department.

To protect officers and community members, the district is currently implementing body cameras and recently acquired body shields. The district received grants to fund the new equipment, which will provide more protection and transparency for police officers.

Emergency Preparedness

Team SISD establishes a districtwide culture of emergency preparedness through a team-approach to ensure the safety of students and staff members. The process of continuously practicing school emergency drills allows the district to ensure students and staff are trained to respond to emergencies that may occur. Socorro ISD follows guidelines set forth by the Texas School Safety Center school-based emergency management.

The district’s Director of Emergency Management is charged with overseeing the district’s multi-hazard preparedness activities, plans and practices. In compliance with state law, the district has a comprehensive emergency management program including planning, training, and drilling and a multi-hazard emergency operations plan. The emergency management director is supported by an assistant director, who are both highly qualified with FEMA emergency management and professional development series certifications and working toward advanced professional certification to master Incident Command System and National Incident Management System. 

The SISD Safety and Security Committee, comprised of district personnel, school staff, parents, and first responder stakeholders from the community, meets regularly to focus on districtwide safety and security issues. The committee, which has been established in compliance with state law, is a vital component in the overall safety and security for all stakeholders by providing guidance, coordination, and oversight in multiple facets of SISD’s emergency management plan and ensuring the district is aligned to state standards. The committee’s primary role is to review and refine the district’s emergency operations plan and any report that is submitted to the Texas School Safety Center and the Texas Education Agency.

Each campus has a school administrator on the district safety committee who serves as the emergency management coordinator at their school. SISD schools are trained and practice drills in accordance with the emergency operations plan. Campus staff also practice weekly exterior door sweeps to ensure safe entry to the schools through designated doors only. SISD schools also maintain a campus emergency operations plan that is unique to each campus to address specific needs for that facility. In addition, each school has a behavioral threat assessment team which is aimed at keeping students and staff safe from harmful, violent, or threatening individuals. The multi-disciplinary threat assessment and management team involves an array of disciplines so that the members can identify developing concerns/threats, gather information from multiple sources, maximize skills and resources to address concerns, monitor outcomes and enhance the school’s ability to communicate, collaborate and coordinate for best awareness, interventions, and outcomes.

Emergency Management Logo

We have layers of protection in SISD to ensure all students and staff are safe. This includes our own district and school staff, SISD police force and our law enforcement and emergency responder partners in the community, such as the Sheriff’s Department and Texas Division of Emergency Management. We are one large community operating with best practices, common standards, and training to provide security and protection in our schools.

SISD Director of Emergency Management Ron Livermore  

SRP Icons

Standard Response Protocol

Socorro ISD follows the Standard Response Protocol (SRP), which provides clear guidance on actions to be taken by all occupants of a facility in the event of crisis. The SRP is designed to provide consistent, clear shared language and a series of actions to be taken by occupants. In the event of an emergency, a specific protocol will be declared and the appropriate direction and action will be followed.

Hold – In your room, office or area. Clear the hall.

Secure – Get inside. Lock outside doors.

Lockdown – Locks, lights, out of sight.

Evacuate – A location may be specified.

Shelter – State hazard and safety strategy.

Click here to read more about Standard Response Protocol

What to know about emergency situations in Team SISD

Say Something Graphic

Know something, See something, Hear something – Say Something

We’re All IN to keep our schools safe! All students, staff, parents, and community members can help us to ensure the safety and security of SISD schools and surrounding communities. If you know something, see something, or hear something, please say something! By reporting any safety concerns, you can help keep our school communities safe.

For emergencies or safety concerns, call SISD Police Dispatch at (915) 937-HELP or (915) 937-4357.

Counselors smiling

Mental Health/Wellness

As we care for one another in numerous ways, one of the most important things we do is support social, emotional and mental health. Being there for our students and our staff members with resources, counselors and tools is important to ensure a strong support system for a healthy mindset and well-being.

Social, emotional and mental health support in Team SISD:

  • School Counselors – Each campus has a certified school counselor based on ratio.  All elementary campuses have at least one school counselor and more depending on size, all middle and PK-8 Campuses have two school counselors and more depending on size and all comprehensive high schools have a minimum of seven counselors, with two schools having eight and two schools having nine.  School counselors are trained in social emotional learning and mental health, provide social emotional learning lessons to students in grades PK through 12th, and provide counseling to students through group counseling and short-term individual counseling.

  • Care Solace – Referral Service to assist students, families, and employees with mental health services.

  • Project Vida – We partner with Project Vida Behavioral Health Center.  16 of our campuses (each comprehensive high school, 2 middle schools per feeder and 1 elementary) have an LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor) on site to assist students with mental health needs. 

  • Texas Child Health Access Through Telemedicine (TCHATT) – Provides telemedicine or telehealth programs to school districts to help identified students.

  • Partnerships with other outside Behavioral Health Agencies – Outside providers can provide therapy to SISD students on campus or through telehealth.

  • Rethink Education – The district Social Emotional and Mental Health Curriculum that encompasses lessons that focus on coping skills and social emotional learning.

“A student’s mental health is extremely important to Socorro ISD. When students are feeling anxious or depressed, we know this interferes with academic learning, but it mainly interferes with feelings of success in everyday life. We are preparing students for a successful and fulfilling future, which includes learning coping skills and the ability to overcome stress.”

SISD Director of School Counseling Tammi Mackeben  

Dispatch staff on computer

Facilities

Socorro ISD facilities have been enhanced to ensure that students and staff are learning and working in safe and secure learning environments. The district works to ensure that all campuses have three layers of protection: fencing, exterior doors are closed and always locked, and classroom doors are locked at all times. The district’s newest facilities have been constructed with vestibules that limit access to the school and require visitors to report immediately to the front office after being vetted through the campus’ access control system. All schools in the district have been equipped with bulletproof film on windows and doors to provide another layer of protection. In the spring of 2024, schools that have chain link fence or areas with no fences will be reinforced with rod iron fencing around the perimeter of the campus.

All SISD campuses are monitored 24/7

  • Every school is equipped with surveillance cameras

  • An access control system screens individuals before being granted entry to schools

  • Panic buttons at schools instantaneously alert police in the event of an emergency

  • A digital check-in system implements background checks on all visitors

Law enforcement agencies group photo

Agency Collaborations

Team SISD teams up with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to protect schools and the community. Representatives from law enforcement and first responder agencies are part of the District Safety and Security Committee. The SISD Police Department has formed strong partnerships with local law enforcement agencies, such as the El Paso Police Department and the Sheriff’s Department, and constantly works in conjunction with numerous other agencies.

An SISD police officer is assigned to crisis negotiations and SISD detectives also are assigned to the El Paso Fusion Center, an all-crimes, all hazards tactical information and intelligence hub for the El Paso Police Department.

The SISD Police Department worked with the El Paso District Attorney’s Office, FBI and area school district police departments on April 12, 2024, as part of a new “School Threats are No Joke” initiative. Team SISD police officers participated in a video production for an upcoming campaign to remind the community about the serious consequences that can result from school threats, whether they are made as a joke or not. The ongoing collaboration between Team SISD police and local and state law enforcement helps to keep school communities safe and the proactive communication campaigns keeps the public aware of the efforts being made to address and prevent school threats that can disrupt instruction and school activities.

See SISD post about the “School Threats are No Joke” video production

In April 2023, SISD partnered with the FBI, District Attorney, County Attorney, other law enforcement and school districts to curb false threats to schools. The district helped the FBI deliver the critical message to all stakeholders that making false threats will not be taken lightly and can lead to severe consequences.

Read more about the partnership with the FBI campaign

In October 2023, Socorro ISD police arrested two juveniles for making false threats that negatively impacted the community by disrupting instruction at Montwood High School. Socorro ISD Police, together with local law enforcement agencies and the El Paso County and District Attorney offices, collaborated on the cases to ensure that those responsible were identified and held accountable to the law.

Read more about the two juveniles arrested for false threats

Image of tweet of officers on duty

Tweet highlighting Agency Collaboration

Tweet highlighting Agency Collaboration