Hutto ISD hoping to add more police officers with cadet academy
School districts around Central Texas are working to get more armed officers on campus.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — School districts around Central Texas are working to get more armed officers on campus.
It's the result of a new Texas law to increase safety on campuses, but many districts are finding it hard to fill all the positions.
House Bill 3, or HB 3, which passed last summer, required school districts to have an armed officer on every campus.
"So we have doubled our size," said Hutto Independent School District Police Chief William Edwards. "We need six more full time officers at this particular time."
In April, the district will begin its cadet academy program to train safety officers into full time Hutto ISD police officers.
Candidates would start as campus safety officers then move to a cadet. Finally, if it all goes well, they would become Hutto ISD police officers.
"They can go from the safety aspect to the police aspect and stay within the same district," Williams said.
Williams said putting an emphasis on safety is important.
"Having more officers on campus is definitely going to make the district safer," said Williams.
Hutto ISD is committed to finding innovative ways to create the staff of the future.
The Safety Officer to Police Cadet pipeline is yet another way we are investing in our current employees, helping them develop their skills, and providing career pathways that will ultimately benefit our students.
Raúl Peña, Ed.D.
Hutto ISD Superintendent